


Legless On Maim

by GothMoth



Series: Ectobers Ectoplasmic Splatters [14]
Category: Danny Phantom, Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Amity Park Is Danny's Lair, Amputation, Angst, Bad Puns, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Broken Bones, Car Accidents, ClockWork Out Here Being A Little Shit, Dan Lewis Is Just A Really Good Dude, Danny Phantom focused, Ectober (Danny Phantom), Ectobiology, Eddie The Living Trash Fire, Eddie is having a... time, Feral Behavior, Gen, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Injury Recovery, Jack And Maddie Getting Their Minds Blown, Look At Me Ending Nearly Ever Chapter With Cliffhangers, Major Character Injury, Mentions of Murder, Philosophy, Surgery, The G.I.W. Fucking Shit Up For Everyone Again, Worldbuilding, becoming more ghostly, ghost prince Danny, mentions of cannibalism, mentions of dan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-01-03 09:54:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 180,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21177497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GothMoth/pseuds/GothMoth
Summary: This is honestly expected at this point for both Danny and Dr. Lewis. Something goes horribly wrong, someone winds up horribly injured, and someone's left patching up a reckless idiot.





	1. One, Two, Three...Oh Ancients That’s A Lot Of Broken Bones

**Author's Note:**

> *Note: This wasn’t supposed to be a crossover. It just decided it had to be one halfway through.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny gets hurt a lot, eventually that had to land him in the hospital. And Lewis always ends up with the weird patents. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ectober 2019 Day 21: Shattered

It had always been a bit of a running joke just how bad Jack Fenton’s driving was. Many even saying that so long as he was behind the wheel, any vehicle could defy the laws of both gravity and reality...and the rules of the road. Which meant that everyone always got out of their way, cops included. The Fenton RV taking impossible turns and breaking 300mph was just a part of Amity Park. 

So it was normalised, comfortable. Everyone lulled into the mindset that the Fenton’s were somehow immune to car crashes or that their RV was functionally indestructible. And at least they wore seat belts right? Okay, they _usually_ wore them anyway. 

Which is why, when the cops and ambulances were called out to a massive car pile-up, everyone was stunned stupid to see the eccentric family’s RV torn in half in what could only be described as a car massacre. Thirty or thirty-five, it was hard to say, vehicles strewn over the road; most damaged horribly. There’s body’s laying all over the road and limbs sticking out around twisted metal. Screaming and crying filling the air, with the less injured trying to help out the worse off. Paramedics start running everywhere, as the cops get the area closed off and join in helping victims. 

If it wasn’t for how used to the Fenton’s the town was, everyone would have likely been incredibly shocked and paused; as Jack Fenton deadlifts and throws half of the massive RV. What does cause shock, is him being splattered in blood. No one having ever seen either Fenton with blood on them; or the daughter for that matter. It was just the boy that could occasionally be caught a bit bloodied and beaten. 

Which is why Todd, a paramedic who honestly hasn’t had enough sleep, isn’t surprised as he rushes over to the bloodied and oversized man; easily telling it isn’t his own blood. Pushing Jack out of the way to stop the man from touching the, definitely injured, boy. Who’s caked so heavily that it’s impossible to tell who he is, which is why Todd is very surprised as the kid groans and tries to sit up. 

Jack stammers barely above a whisper, “D-Danny-boy?”. 

Of course, it was the son, great. Todd looks the kid over as he pushes the kid's shoulder to stop him from moving, “son, you need to stay still”.

“‘M fine”, based on how the kids speech is slurred and he’s shaking his head to clear it, he definitely is _not _fine. 

Todd completely ignores his partner asking Jack about medical histories and allergies and if he was injured. Todd can’t help but scoff over how the large man wasn’t so much as scratched. Before frowning at the kids legs, he honestly did not want to touch them. It looked like he’d jumped feet first into a cheap meat grinder. The flesh mangled and torn, bits of bone jutting out or on the ground. If Todd had to guess, he’d say not even once inch of bone or skin was intact. 

Todd blinks as he hears the kid mutter, apparently able to self-access to a disturbing level, “breaks: eight ribs, left arm, seven fingers, fuck my legs, shit. Dislocated shoulder, five cracked ribs, six herniated discs”, wheezing, “blood, lots of that. Okay okay, legs. That’s, uh, not good”. 

Todd clears his throat once he’s gotten the gurney set up, seriously thankful the kid is half sitting half laying on a blanket. Effectively startling the boy out of his mutterings, who looks at him wide-eyed, “oh shit, person”. 

Todd rolls his eyes but gets to work, motioning his partner over to help move the boy. “Just stay still kid”. Watching and having half the mind to whack the kid over the head, as he flops to lay down -which is beyond bad to do if he thinks he’s damaged his spine- and sounds, of all things, annoyed. 

Todd’s partner chuckles at the boy as they carry him over to one of the waiting ambulances, “you definitely seem a Fenton that’s for sure”. 

Todd has to force the kid to lay down as he tries sit up, after getting him in the ambulance, to look around, “kid, your folks are fine. Just take it easy. It’s you who needs to be worried over”. 

The kid actually _scowls _at him before tilting his head around to scan the accident site, “okay, if you don’t stop moving we are immobilising you completely”. But Todd sighs slightly as Maddie hops in and hovers her hands around Danny, “sweetie, oh Zone, _Danny_”. 

Todd grunting, “I’m going to have to ask that you don’t touch, sorry”, as he’s hooking up vitals and bags. There’s no way this kid hasn’t lost a concerning amount of blood and it’s a small miracle, if you could call it that, that the kid was even conscious. 

Todd’s a bit surprised that the kid is still trying to look around, albeit a bit more subtly, “anyone hurt?”.

Maddie gives him a soft smile, “your dad and I are fine sweetie”. 

“No, _everyone_. Is anyone hurt?”. Todd is seriously thrown by the seriousness and urgency to the kids tone. He sounded more like one of his fellow medics or a cop, than an injured kid. 

Maddie blinks and worries her lip, “I’m not positive sweetie, but I’m sure there are injuries”. 

Todd and his partner grab the kids' shoulders and force him to lay down. The kid looking like he wants to run off and seemingly moving to do exactly that. Todd holds up some straps, “do I seriously need to use these?”. 

The kid glares at him before huffing like this is the hardest thing in the world and grumbles, “no”, as he lays still on the gurney; glaring at the ceiling with an almost impressive level of annoyance. But, apparently, not fretting about people -even though he’s injured to such a horrific level that Todd’s not even able to touch the kids' legs- is enough for the kids' body to just give out; as the kid blacks out. 

Todd and his partner exchange worried glances, as the kids ECG turns on, showing an alarmingly slow heartbeat. Both watching it as they clean some of the blood off the kids' torso; hoping that’s interfering with the readings. It’s not, but in doing this they both notice the multitude of scars. Some with clear stitch marks and others that are completely unfamiliar to them. 

Todd glances to Maddie with a slight frown, no kid winds up this scarred on their own. But that’s a problem for the cops, not him; as they arrive at the hospital. 

The two paramedics hopping back in their ambulance to head back out before blinking at Jack running into the hospital. How he got here almost before they did, they’ve got no clue. The two shake their heads and shrug, speeding off, just more Fenton weirdness. Hopefully, that weirdness will help the kid out, he’ll be lucky to even keep his legs. 

* * *

Dr. Lewis’s assistant snaps on his gloves for him after rigorously cleaning his hands, she opens the doors for him as he speaks, “so what are we dealing with? From the crash right?”. 

Brittney pushes up her glasses with her wrist and nods, speaking as everyone else in the room makes space for the head surgeon, “yes, the Fenton son. He’s got more broken bones than intact ones...”.

Lewis smiles, thinking as Brittney rattles off the very long list of injuries, it had been a while since he had seen them, years in fact. Though this isn’t exactly how he’d like to be seeing any of them. Lewis nods before setting to work, “ah Danny, he’s grown a lot. His folks are old friends of mine”. Multiple people mutter about how, “that explains a lot”, and, “somehow that’s not surprising”. 

Lewis is honestly amazed Danny’s even alive. Especially considering his strange vitals. But Lewis has seen strange before, so so long as Danny’s vitals don’t drop it’s whatever. But based on just his listed central injuries he should have lost more blood than the human body even carries. He managed to sever his Inferior Vena Cava, Superior Mesenteric Artery and Femoral Artery. 

He’s not sure if that’s weird or just really impressive. Though he doesn’t let it faze or interrupt his work. But once he gets Danny’s chest open he stills completely, more than a little confused.

Multiple people whisper, _“what is that?”._ And Lewis has no answer. There’s just a glowing pale blue ball of what seems to be energy. Somehow it was partly through other organs as if it wasn’t physically touchable. Lewis pokes it, curious, only for his hand to go through it. But Danny shivers, so he promptly decides it’s just part of him and messing with it would be bad. 

Lewis shrugs, back to the actual problems with Danny. Lewis can actually work with normal medical problems. Even if they were excessive and weird. Seeing as he came in with two, _TWO_, ruptured lungs. One kidney was a lost cause, the other barely salvageable. His spine was an _interesting_ puzzle to put back together, but he’s not paralysed. Small miracles Lewis, small miracles. Thankfully his arms and hands just had simple breaks and dislocations, even if nearly every finger on his left was badly crushed. But hey, at least Danny was right hand dominant. 

His legs though...Lewis sighs after poking and looking around, he knew with one look the legs were going to be bad. And normally he’d like to do the most difficult task first. It was always the most interesting and usually needed his full alert attention. But someone could live without good legs, they firmly can’t with major severed arteries and non-functioning lungs. Again, Danny should be dead. Very dead. Even if he was miraculously without _any _head or neck injuries. Not even whiplash. 

Sighing again, Lewis turns away and snaps off his gloves into the trash. These legs weren’t salvageable. He was good, one of the best actually, but even for him limits exist. And leg bones that were shattered into millions of tiny pieces, like someone had put a bomb in a room full of oddly fleshy and bloody glass, was far past his limits. 

Lewis nods to his team, “keep him stable”. 

They nod as he leaves but nearly all of them mutter, “he’s actually doing the taking? The bad news? Wow”. Now it wasn’t that Lewis shirked his duties or couldn’t handle breaking bad news. He just wasn’t a people person, wasn’t sensitive enough apparently. 

Lewis approaches Jack and Maddie, making a point not to smile and sends a small nod to their daughter, Jasmine, before speaking to the parents, “I’m sorry that this is how we run into each other again”. 

Maddie nods and fiddles with her fingers, “agreed”, looking up at him and smiling pleadingly, “but you were always the best in your classes. So I’m sure he’s in the best hands”. 

Jack clears his throat, “how is he? Will he be okay? How much longer?”. 

Jazz sighs, “I’m sure he’ll be fine dad. Danny’s tough”. 

Lewis forces down a laugh, not appropriate right now, “he certainly is”, looking more serious and looking back to the parents, “by all accounts, it’s a miracle he made it here at all. I’ve seen folks who’ve gone through wood chippers with less injuries. But he’s stable, he’ll live”. 

Both parents sigh in relief but Jasmine squints at him, “and what’s the bad news? You didn’t say he’s out of surgery so clearly he’s not. The head surgeon wouldn’t leave the middle of surgery just to mingle”. 

Maddie and Jack look from her to Lewis, worried and scared. Lewis nods with the appropriate frown, sighing, “unfortunately you’re right”, clearing his throat, “though he didn’t sustain any head injuries, and all the major and minor central damage has been repaired and will heal fine. His legs, I’m afraid, can’t be helped. Even keeping them would be a bad idea”. 

Maddie chokes out a sob and clings on Jack. Jack speaking softly, “are you...are you sure?”. While Jazz looks extremely startled and slightly conflicted. 

Lewis nods at his two friends, “I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can even begin to do or try”. 

Jack bows his head before nodding slightly and clenching his fists. Looking back up to Lewis, “Danny-boy’s a strong kid. I’m sure we can all handle adapting. Do what you think is best”. 

While Jasmine walks up and plays with her hands, looking slightly pleading, “you’re sure he can’t keep them? Even a little?”. 

Lewis sighs and nods, “I’m sorry Jasmine”, before giving her shoulder a slight squeeze and heading back to surgery. 

Lewis picks up the bone saw as he reenters, freshly washed and gloved hands. His newest team member grimacing slightly as he gets to work. His team moving around and aiding him as he goes, pushing his weight on the device, occasionally switching out to bone nibblers or scalpels and other smaller tools. Everyone firmly ignoring Lewis’s slightly fond smile as he admires his work. Walking around to check out the symmetry. Most medical surgeons don’t exactly care how their work looks, Lewis does. Like tattoos, if you make scars and wounds pretty enough or give some kind of design people might actually grow to like them. Though clearly Danny had no issue with scars, considering the impressive amount of them he had. But hey, everyone likes symmetry. 

Lewis makes a couple slight, and arguably unnecessary, changes, before having his underlings do the closing and heading back out to see his friends. Glancing at the clock as he goes, twelve hours total, expected honestly but still. 

It’s no surprise that they’re less hopeful and happy about seeing him this time. “He’ll be fine. You can probably see him in a while but it’s best you don’t touch him”. 

Jack and Maddie nod, looking a bit shell shocked. Lewis motions for someone to bring them some water and sits down. Clearing his throat, “now he’s going to be out for around half an hour, after that he’s going to be a bit groggy and he’ll be on a lot of medications. It’s best you wait till he asks to tell him about his legs. I can do that if you’d prefer?”. 

The two nod as they accept waters, Maddie speaking, “thank you Dan. We’d like it if you were there to...explain things if he asks for specifics, but we can tell him”. 

Jack nods, smilingly slightly forced, “he’s a curious kid. Always asking what this or that does”. 

Lewis returns the smile more genuinely while Jazz appears to be grimacing. 

Jack rubs Maddie arm and doesn’t call Lewis out on just sitting there somewhat awkwardly. His lack of people skills never even seemed to be noticed by the two, which is part of why he could call them friends. They were so strange that his strange went unnoticed. 

Jazz eyes her parents before getting up and tugging on Lewis’s coat slightly, whispering, “give them some room, I’m a curious one too”. 

Lewis raises an eyebrow before nodding, yes ‘space’ was something people usually needed. Walking with the girl who’s got a deep frown for a while till she speaks to him, “so...your name’s Dan?”. 

“It is, not short for anything. Why?”, Lewis was fully expecting some questions about aftercare or even the nitty-gritty of surgery, not his name. 

Jazz frowns slightly more, “then make sure you’re introduced as ‘Lewis’ first then”.

“Bad experience?”. 

“Very”. 

Lewis looks behind them, towards the parents, “I take it they don’t know?”.

Jazz shakes her head but smiles ever so slightly, “he likes to keep somethings to himself”. 

Lewis smirks as his pager goes off, calling him away. Likely more people from the crash. 

* * *

All three Fenton’s stiffen and hold their breaths as Danny groans, “who dropped a semi-truck on me?”, screws up his face, and opens his eyes. Blinking a couple of times, “oh duh, a road did”, before chucking slightly. 

Jazz smiles softly and shuffles her chair closer to him, while their parents flinch, “you’re pretty close actually little brother. But I don’t think there were any semi’s involved”. 

Danny clearly attempts to lift up his hand, but it is held in place. Jazz speaking as Danny looks not pleased about that, “don’t try breaking it. You need it, the public hospital did a good job though. Looks cool”. Seriously hoping that he gets that he has to act at least somewhat normal. 

Danny snorts, “ice ice baby”, before blinking and screwing up his face again, “hospital? Am Imma bag of broken shards and bloodied mashed potatoes or something?”. 

Jazz cringes at that, “yeah”. 

Danny rolls his shoulders slightly, “well alright then”, snorting and looking at her, “what’d I fuck up this time?”.

Now all three cringe, Jack clearing his throat, prompting Danny to look towards him as Jack speaks, “nothing, son. It was just a freak accident-”.

Danny’s barked laugh cuts him off, “sounds like the story of _half _my life”. 

Jack blinks and exchanges a slight smile with Maddie, though they still look sad. Maddie pets his hair gently, his head being the only thing not wrapped or restrained, “but one that _none _of us were even slightly responsible for”. 

Danny chuckles, “that’s a nice change. Change is good. Let’s you buy burgers. Hospital burgers though...”, Danny makes a disgusted face, “not worth a cent. Prob make my tongue fall off or sometin’ and I like my tongue. It’s squishy and doesn’t belong to a snake”. 

“Sounds like someone’s up”, everyone turns to Lewis’s voice. Danny chuckling, “look, a doctor, in a hospital. Who would have thought”. 

Lewis smiles, “certainly not I”. 

Danny shifts, Jazz is sure he was attempting to point at Lewis, “I like you. You seem very hit-able, but, like, the kind that also makes questionably strong coffee“.

Lewis shrugs as he walks fully into the room and stands next to the bed, “I’ll take it, and you’re right, I do take my coffee black. I don’t even mind the grounds”. 

“Ah a doc after my heart, possibly literally. But it’s mine, not yours. You want it, you gotta lick it, like a cat”. 

“My wife’s got a cat, real prick. Not going to copy any of his behaviour”, Lewis smirks and shrugs, “even if you have a very healthy and nice heart”. 

Danny laughs loudly, everyone else laughing slightly as well. Jack and Maddie thankful for their sons weird, and definitely inebriated, humour. Jazz completely understanding why, or more so how, Lewis is friends with her parents. He might be weirder than them actually. 

Danny smirks, “I would slap my heart if I wasn’t told to not break my white wrapping confines. ‘Cause this muscly bastard gets all the exercise!”, Danny screws up his face and laughs again, “pretty sure a cat tried to kill me once!”. 

Lewis glances at Danny’s ECG, showing a heartbeat that is _way_ too slow and pulse much the same. Not to mention the startlingly cold body temperature. But since Danny seems fine and stable in those regards, he’s just assuming that’s normal. He’s seen weirder and the Fenton’s are exactly the people to have a strange son. 

Danny follows Lewis’s eyes, chuckling at the faintly beeping thing, “huh, well that’s awkward”, snorting, “really _half_-assing the job. Lazy prick”. 

Lewis tilts his head and can’t help but laugh, it really was only half what it should be. 

Jack smiles, “it’s doing a great job actually Danny-boy”. 

Lewis smirks, “really holding you together there”, before shuffling, slightly self-aware. He liked patients who were a bit out of it, he could let his tongue fly more. But there were others here, friend kind of others. But no one seems fazed, though Jazz groans sounding exhausted rather than bothered.

Danny grins goofily, “so my bones n’ shit are lazy then, cause that’s their job. Heart’s jus suppose make a right bloody mess”, wiggling slightly, “just be really dramatic about it. Like with that tv show guy who got stabbed by a straw? Just spewing red like a fountain”. 

Jazz groans, “that’s really morbid Danny”. 

Lewis laughs slightly, “that’s also not really possible”, shrugging, “not like that at least”. 

Danny smirks, “oh? Do tell. That’d make a great prank”. 

Jazz groans, “Danny no”. 

Making Danny smirk at her, “Danny yes”. 

Maddie smiles at him, “I’m sure doing that wouldn’t be a good idea”. 

Danny shrugs, “it _would_ be really messy. I’m good at that though, I mean my room? My life? Just oof. Mess”, screwing up his face, “right right yeah, I ‘twas a mess wasn’t I? Drenched like went swimming in viscera”. 

Lewis is the only one who doesn’t cringe. While Danny raises an eyebrow at Lewis, “who gots to clean that all up? I could, like, sign the soiled towels or whatever”. 

Jazz, officially worried Danny thinks he’s in ghost form, “little bro, us Fenton’s are odd but not odd enough for people to want our signatures”, she then flicks his black hair so that it is definitely in Danny’s line of sight. 

Danny blows air at it, “just a Fan of weird but not _weird_ weird”. Danny then tilts his head and blinks, frowning, “right, accident. Just piles of twisted metal”, frowning more. 

Everyone is fully expecting that he’s noticed something’s missing now but instead he asks, “everyone fine? From that? Serious injuries? It wasn’t a ghostly accident was it?”. 

Lewis blinks, ghosts?, that’s right, Jack and Maddie are ghost hunters. Lewis clears his throat, “mostly scrapes, whiplash and some broken bones. But there have been a few reported deaths”. Lewis almost jerks from Danny reacting like someone just shot him directly in the face and point-blank. “Woah Danny, it was a nasty crash, casualties are expected-”.

Jazz cuts him off and plucks out one of Danny’s hairs, functionally startling him out of any mental spirals, “there’s nothing _anyone _could have done Danny. Including you”. 

Danny screws up his face and it looks rather painful, “but those paras, they wasted time on me and holding me back. Coulda helped”. 

Jazz cringes, knowing how hard that would have been on him. While Jack and Maddie gape at him. Maddie speaking, “sweetie you needed it. Your life isn’t a waste of their time”.

“But they could have saved someone else if they hadn’t been busy with me! I’d have been fine!”. 

Maddie jerkily moves her hand to grab his but thinks better of it and runs her hand through his hair, “sweetie no”. 

Lewis, a little caught off guard, “you really shouldn’t have survived yourself”. 

Danny _actually rolls his eyes_, “‘m fine”. 

Jack clenches his hands, “I, son, no you’re not”. While Jazz pokes his cheek, “just breathe and focus on your own healing, like the rest of us _mortals_”, winking at him and putting on a slight smile, “you go be helpful when not ensnared by the medical system”. 

Danny looks at the ceiling and blinks a little, “what caused it? The accident?”. 

Jazz instantly saying, “not ghosts”. 

Lewis clears his throat, “it was a drunk driver apparently”.

Danny squints at him, “at three p.m.?”. 

Lewis shrugs, both impressed and pleased he remembered what time it happened at, “if it helps, he died”. 

Danny frowns, “it doesn’t...much”. Lewis represses a smirk at that. 

Danny tilts his head slightly and squints at Lewis, “this ain’t Amity hospital. Why you no question ghost shit?”. 

Lewis blinks and actually laughs slightly, realising he forgot to give his name, “right, I’m a friend of your parents actually. Dr. Lewis. I know about their profession”. 

Danny snorts, “convenient”, and eyes Lewis cautiously. Lewis can tell Danny’s visually picking him over, looking for danger. This boy was scarred and paranoid, that didn’t really add up to a pretty picture. Maybe he was a hunter too, would make sense. Just clearly more, would ‘intense’ work best?, about it. 

Jazz flicks Danny’s ear, “he’s a good guy. Little odd, but that’s for the best”. 

Danny eyes Lewis some more, but Jack and Maddie both smile at him so he blows out a breath and rolls his eyes, “so fams doctor friend was getting all friendly with my organs. Really getting to know me on an internal level”. 

Jazz laughs, “yeah. Danny. Yeah”. 

“Guess I gotta do one better then”.

Now Lewis is the only one not glaring. Danny had an extremely dark sense of humour. 

Danny smirks, though his eyes still look rather freaked out and haunted, “what? Gotta make sure my meat suit knows who owns and haunts it”. Jazz just sighs. 

Jack smiles and laughs, it’s a bit hallow though, “no ghost could ever overshadow you Danny-boy!”.

Danny gives a genuine toothy smile, “I’m already spooky enough”. 

Maddie blinks and looks to Lewis, having been reminded about Danny’s contamination and thus how his body functioned a bit different. Though the slow heartbeat was a bit of a shock, “that’s right, you never asked us about Danny’s unusual readings? I’m sure you’re curious about that?”. 

Lewis shrugs, “I’ve seen some seriously weird stuff over the years. So long as no one or thing tries to kill me or my patient, it’s cool”. 

Danny laughs, “it’s like we’re the same person! Just you see more guts, hopefully anyway”. 

Lewis smirks, “well I am very good at handling them. Hands of an Angel some say”. 

Danny smirks right back, “well some say I’m downright devilish. So yay, yin and yang. Very black and white, I approve”, Danny looks to the ECG, “but yeah, that’s me norm”, shrugging as he looks back to Lewis, “everything’s my norm”. Danny keeps talking as everyone cringed, “though I’d really like to know where the fuck my legs are”. 

Everyone gapes at him for a bit, even Lewis has never had a patient just let something like that roll off their tongue. Usually there was at least some shock or a mild freak out. Sometimes they just refused to believe it before freaking out severely. Danny just sounded like he’d misplaced his hairbrush or forgot to study. 

Maddie shakes herself off slightly, petting Danny’s hair, “they were, um, they were too badly damaged sweetie”, before looking to Lewis, who nods and steps forward slightly. “They were pretty well shattered apart. Most pieces too small to even attempt to put back together. Your skin and muscle was hardly any better. The bone absolutely had to be removed and leaving the rest would only hinder you and would risk your health”. 

Danny nods, “well alright then. You did what you thought best so it’s cool”. 

Lewis blinks, “Danny...that is the single most relaxed reaction I’ve ever gotten or heard of”. 

Danny chuckles, “Imma _chill _dude”, blinking and then laughing, “oh Ancients! I’m legless on main!”. 

Jazz makes a face and groans into her hand, releasing he’s referencing how his other-self is sometimes legless, “that is a horrible joke Danny!”. 

Jack gives an awkward smile, “well at least he’s handling it well”.

Lewis isn’t sure if this qualifies as ‘handling it well’, but it does make his job easier and more enjoyable. Plus, they’re friends, so of course Lewis is going to do the house check-ups. Even if they’re in another city. So it works for him. Traumatised emotional wrecks and people spiralling into depression, he can’t deal with that; at least not well. But someone looking to crack a joke or relax and pretty much ignore the damage? That, he can do. 

Danny smirks, “Imma terrible terror so good!”, tilting his head down as far as it can go, which isn’t very far, “so will I be able to draw constellations on the scars?”. 

Lewis smiles and decides to just speak, they weren’t exactly normal people, “sure, but wait till it’s not raw. But it looks good as is, I like to play around with my work. Make things look nice”. It’s refreshing to not get looked at strange though. This is exactly why he missed the two strange scientists. 

Danny smiles, “anything for the asstetic...antiseptic...fuck..._aesthetic_”, making everyone laugh slightly. 

Lewis nods, “yes, it’s clear you don’t mind scars-”.

Jazz interrupts him, “yup! That’s guys for you”. While Jack and Maddie just look confused. Lewis blinks, getting the message from both her comment and the dirty ‘shut the hell up’ look, obviously, Jack and Maddie aren’t aware of the scars. Which is odd, if they were from ghost hunting they would probably know about it. If he was getting them professionally treated then they would also know about it. And considering the oddity and severity of some of the scarring, he absolutely needed professional treatment. There was no way he was treating _himself_. The skill would be admirable, but that would be one extreme pain tolerance. But that thought makes him blink, deciding to look over Danny’s readings. His levels of pain killers were way lower than they should be, okay everything was off. But logically Danny should be in pain. Glancing at him, “you okay overall though?”. 

Danny just gives him a confused raised eyebrow, “‘m fine”. 

Lewis gives him a dubious raised eyebrow in return, “considering you did imply you were fine _without functioning lungs_ and _missing chunks of ribs_ and _multiple broken vertebrae_. That’s not even mentioning the legs. So not sure if I actually believe you”. 

Jazz nods and hums, muttering, “that’s a good rule of thumb with Danny. He’s an idiot”. Danny just huffs, rolls his eyes, and mutters, “I’d have been fine”. 

While Maddie gasps slightly and Jack clenches his fists and jaw. Maddie nearly whispering at Lewis, “that bad?”. 

Lewis nods, he’s still impressed and confused how Danny’s alive. But it is interesting and he is glad Danny’s not dead. 

Danny rolls his eyes and huffs, “I’m fine. Go fret over someone who needs it”. 

All four saying, “you need it”, which Danny just scoffs at. 

Lewis has to run off at the sound of his pager again, Danny snickering, “run off a lot doc? Got a patient sense?”. Making Jazz groan. 

Lewis waves as he heads out the door, “running off is half the job”. 

Danny snorts, near shouting, “that’s _half_ the life!”. 

Jack and Maddie smile, Maddie ruffling Danny’s hair, “you’re sure you’re feeling fine? Right now?”. 

Danny smiles softly, “I’m good. Swear it”. 

Maddie pats his head, “well hopefully you heal fast. And we could, could build you legs”. 

Jack chuckles quietly, “and you’re a Fenton! We’re tough! You can handle it for sure! We’ll adjust”. 

Danny chuckles awkwardly, “yeah...”, clearing his throat, “so I’m hungry, who else is hungry?”. 

Jazz tries to not sigh exaggeratedly but nods to her parents. It would be good for them to have some alone time, she was the only one who hadn’t been in the vehicle at the time, “you guys go get something, anything not greasy for me and something soft for Danny. I’ll keep him company”. 

The two exchange a glance but nod and head out. 

Danny rolls his eyes at Jazz, “what if I wanted fries?”. 

Jazz glares at him, “a normal person in your state shouldn’t be having that”. 

“You know, it’s going to be more annoying eating mush for however long than ‘healing’”, giving her a look, “I would point at you but I can’t, well I can, just shouldn’t. Like I said, quote-unquote ‘healing’, ‘cause you know, can’t let myself actually heal”. 

Jazz sighs, “I know, has any of it actually healed? Since you weren’t exactly conscious to stop it”. 

Danny rolls his shoulders, “I stopped it as soon as I spotted the paras. But I did heal the head stuff before then”. 

“Lewis thought that was weird, the lack of head injuries”, glancing at the door quickly, “you know, neck and head injuries are one of the most common to get? I’m guessing the legs would have taken too long, but you should have healed your chest”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “head injuries are waaaaaay more annoying. And Jazz literally all of my neck was broken. That would have been way more suspicious. My ribs get broken every week, though fine, shoulda fixed the lungs”. 

Jazz cringes, that was arguably way worse. While Danny looks where his legs should be, “know that I am making imaginary wild hand motions at my quote unquote ‘legs’. Jazz, I don’t know if I even can heal this. I’ve never _lost a limb before_. Cuts, scrapes and breaks aren’t the same as regrowing a freaking limb. _Two freaking limbs_”. 

Jazz sighs, “yeah I know, I tried to stop him from completely removing them but there really was no reasonably human explanation for why, I could give him”, shifting, “but you’ve lost bones before right? They grew back”. 

Danny chuckles, “right as ectoplasmic rain they did”, sighing with a frown, “but I also wasn’t putting off my healing at the time”. Danny glances at the medications they have him on, nodding his head at them, “guessing you can’t do anything about getting me off this stuff either?”.

Jazz giggles and shakes her head slightly, “you’re stuck on doctors orders Danny. Plus, it is helping with the pain, right? Even if it is making you a little loose-lipped”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “loose-lipped plus secret identity don’t goddamn mix. But this stuffs supposed to remove foreign stuff, supposed to help healing. Ectoplasm is normally foreign, I can feel my ectoplasm reacting to it even if my ectoplasm is all pushed down and hiding”, wiggling a bit, “I can tell it’s making me produce more ‘plasm; which is both energising me and making me weaker. And the stuff is actively making it hard not to heal”. 

Jazz looks at the ECG and thinks over the strange doctor. He clearly knew Danny was weird already. It was rather obvious right now, “okay, that’s probably bad, but Lewis knows your weird, clearly. Mom and dad know about your quote-unquote ‘ecto-contamination’. So I could just tell him your bodies so normalised to ectoplasm that you need the little bit in you?”. 

“Or I could just pull some overshadowing shit”, the two stare for a bit before Danny sighs, “fine”. 

Jazz nods and goes to open her mouth but Danny whispers, “shhhhhhh, hush-hush time”. With Jack and Maddie returning with food seconds later. Danny getting green jello, which he laughs at, and milk. 

They all sit around talking some more, in-between eating, before Danny starts making a show of yawning and being tired. Jazz easily picking up that he just wants to be left alone. “So I know Sam and Tucker are going to want an update on Danny, since they can’t actually come in and see him”, giving her parents meaningful looks. 

Jack and Maddie don’t want to go, not at all. But they both know their daughter is probably right. Plus hounding him probably won’t help him at all. They know he wouldn’t want them to put their lives on hold. Plus they have to prep the house. Jack puts on a smile and stands, “I’m sure Danny-boy wouldn’t want Amity left unprotected either!”. 

Jazz grimaces at Danny’s flinch and heavily veiled panic. Leaning over him and whispering, “Sam and Tucker can handle it. You trust them right?”, and kissing his forehead. 

Danny makes a disgusted face at her but she can still read the panic and paranoia on his face. While Maddie ruffles his hair and Jack awkwardly pats his head. Danny just makes an exaggerated grumpy face over that. Whispering at them as they walk out to leave, “I’ll be okay, promise”. They look at him with smiles, no one really wanting to disagree or look like they were holding him to that. Jazz being the only one that truly understood the weight of Danny’s promises, seldom made but always kept. 

* * *

Jazz slips off, saying she has to go to the bathroom as her parents take a breather on a bench and just stare at the floor squeezing each other. Thankfully, she finds Lewis pretty quickly; looking over some papers. He glances at her and back to the papers before looking to her fully and tilting his head, “everything alright? I haven’t been notified of anything?”. 

Jasmine looks around, Lewis easily getting the message that whatever was going on was very much private. So he starts down one of the empty hallways, Jasmine falling in step. “Actually, something is wrong. Sort of”, Jasmine looks him up and down cautiously before speaking again, “obviously Danny’s a bit...different”. 

Lewis chuckles slightly, something weird was going on and she clearly wanted to know just how much he knew. He’s got a gut feeling that what he says will affect what she tells him, “that might be an understatement. His heartbeat alone shouldn’t be sustainable, he should be hypothermic, and his blood is not only not the right shade of red but also oddly thick. That’s not even mentioning how malleable his bones are, how fast he’s metabolising medications, how long he can go without breathing, or the strange scars”.

Jazz giggles and smirks, though a little alarmed at just how much he had noticed, “so you _are _curious then?”. 

Lewis shrugs, “I like interesting and I’ve seen weirder”, Lewis looks around slightly, “though my ghost hunter buddies, which yeah that’s an odd profession, battered son, who should really be dead, showing up on my operation table, with impossible vitals and more scars than flesh, and then I open him up to find what looks like a blueish white sun that’s somehow impervious to touch; is definitely up there for the prize of weirdest day for Dan Lewis”. 

Jazz coughs, firmly caught off guard, blinking at him as she breathes out, “_you saw that.._.”.

“I was near blinded by that”. 

Jazz pauses in her walking and replays Lewis’s words, tilting her head at him, “wait, that’s not the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen?”. 

“I had a patient try to eat me once. They genuinely debated trying again directly in front of me. That wasn’t even the weirdest part”, shrugging, “they’re one of my best friends now though, so it’s fine”. 

Jazz blinks and wheezes slightly, “oh Zone. You _are _like Danny”, shaking her head, “all three of his closest friends have tried to kill him. One even tried it with a scythe”.

Lewis chuckles, “based on Danny’s sense of humour he probably approved of that”. 

Jazz nods as they start walking again, deciding this guy was trustable and had an extremely high tolerance for weird, “you’re right on that. I guess you can handle weird. And there is a reason for what’s in Danny’s chest”, frowning, “but our folks don’t know, best they don’t. Best no one does, so keep it to yourself”. 

Lewis nods, he doesn’t exactly agree but who was he to control what kids told their parents? “I won’t be telling tales. Is it safe for him?”. 

Jazz can’t help but blink at that, just like Danny his first concern was other people’s health and safety, smiling slightly, “yeah, he needs it actually”, looking around quickly, “heard of ectoplasm?”. 

“In conspiracy theory and mythology books, yeah?”, tapping his chin, “always in relation to ghosts actually”, chuckling, “let me guess, ectoplasm is very much real and, for whatever reason, Danny has it in him?”. 

Jazz smiles and nods curtly, “ecto-contamination it’s called. Most of the people in Amity have it. But Danny’s is...special. Because of an accident with our parents' ghost stuff. The thing in his chest? Is basically a hyper-concentrated ball of ectoplasm. Creates, filters and flows ectoplasm. Works like a heart but with ectoplasm instead of blood”, Jazz shrugs, “so while ecto-contamination usually wears off, his won’t”. 

Lewis nods, “so this ‘ectoplasm’ flows along with his blood then? I take it, that it’s not red and is thicker”.

Jazz nods, “green actually. Of his quote unquote ‘blood’, we guess about a quarter is ectoplasm”, smirking, “so any blood samples you’ve taken are going to come back weird, probably unusable”, frowning, “especially if your technicians tried to remove the ectoplasm”. 

Lewis sighs slightly, having a feeling he knows where this is going. That Danny needed very special treatment, possibly off the books kind. “I’m making another guess and saying that Danny’s blood and ectoplasm are codependent?”. 

Jazz nods, “you catch on quick. He needs both and that’s why everything with him is a little off. Ectoplasm is really cold, so his temperature is lower. His heart doesn’t have to do all the work but both have to do it, so his body does it the most efficient way it can, thus the slow heartbeat and pulse. And so on”. 

“And this makes him able to survive things he shouldn’t? Why all the injuries his scars came from haven’t been treated professionally?”.

Jazz nods, looking around again, “yeah. Ectoplasm is a lot more versatile than blood. It can do the functions of blood or oxygen. Even brain functions. It’s also capable of increasing its own production”, sighing, “which is the reason I’m even telling you all this”.

Lewis scrunches up his eyebrows, this explained an awful lot. This ‘ectoplasm’ had been acting as oxygen, letting him bypass his lungs. It had been acting as extra blood so the blood loss wouldn’t kill him. He’s more curious over the ‘why she’s telling him’ bit though; likely important for his patients' health, “oh?”. 

Jazz blinks at him and shakes her head, “okay Danny got lucky getting you”, sighing again, “basically, the medication you have him on. At least one is affecting his ectoplasm. Making him overproduce. Messing up healing and making him weak from overexertion. Also making him hyperactive though, so he won’t be able to sleep probably”. 

Lewis frowns and nods, that definitely wasn’t good. “Well what medications can he take?”. 

Jazz frowns, “that’s the thing, _we don’t know_. He just never takes anything for anything. Caffeine is probably the closest thing he gets to medicines”. 

Lewis couldn’t legally have a patient, who just had multiple major surgeries, not have any pain medication. That sort of thing was considered unethical. But it was simple enough to fake giving someone medication. So long as no one other than him checked in on Danny. He could use the Fenton’s well-known weirdness to his advantage for that but it would be far easier if he could send them home. But Danny’s injuries were far too severe to be out of the hospital in even a wheelchair. But then again, “tell me, does Danny’s ‘condition’ give him a healing factor? Or make wounds, in general, less serious? As he seems to have implied?”. 

Jazz cringes slightly, Danny and his mouth, before nodding, “yeah. But that’s supposed to be a secret”. 

Lewis smirks and nods, of course it was. Someone might want to replicate that, “of course, from your parent as well I assume”, at her nod he asks, “why all the secrets though? From them”. 

Jazz sighs, “they’d try to correct it. They’ve already tried to remove the ectoplasm but it didn’t work since he just makes more. If they knew why and how, they’d try to remove it”, frowning deeply and looking at Lewis, “that would basically kill him”. 

Lewis frowns, surely his friends wouldn’t do that if their kids just explained the risks? Sure those two always did hate ghosts, they wouldn’t be hunters otherwise, but still. “You sure they would? Seems out of character to me”. 

Jazz smiles, “I don’t personally. If Danny explained it to them. But Danny’s...a little paranoid”. 

Lewis chuckles, that sounded a little familiar, “I can understand that. I’m guessing he okayed you telling me this because of the medication issue?”. 

Jazz nods making Lewis laugh and shake his head slightly. “Well, I’ll see what I can do. Legally he _has_ to be on medication”, shrugging, “but if that, say, never actually makes it to him and no one notices. Then who’s to say he didn’t have his medication”. 

Jazz blinks at Lewis, who’s just casually suggesting breaking the law for a kid he’s never actually met before; just because he was friends with said kids' parents. Before breaking into a small mischievous smile, “guess we’ll be seeing you a lot then. Got to make sure your dear friends' son gets what he _needs_ after all”. 

Lewis chuckles, “indeed, and who would dare deny the head surgeon?”. 

Jazz simply smiles as she turns to head back, “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then, Dr. Lewis”. 

Lewis nods and smiles to himself as he watches her go. He’s gotten himself messed up in yet another strange patient through one of the people in his, honestly small, social circle. Hopefully, this one doesn’t get abducted or try to kill him though. 


	2. Tails And Tales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny’s body is doing something strange, yet again, and Lewis has seen some weird shit, apparently

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ectober 2019 Day 12: Familiar

Danny lays there, blinking at the ceiling. He’s too ectoplasmicly exhausted to even float, yet he keeps having to force his ectoenergy out of his eyes. And he knows that if he could actually see his arms, his veins would be glowing slightly. Feeling it sloshing under his skin and thrumming in his ears, making him twitch and wiggle a bit. Grumbling to himself incoherently; he didn’t want to be here, he didn’t _need _to be here. And yet he was here. Wrapped up like a mummy, being treated like fragil glass, and _missing his damn legs_. Which was honestly more common place than was strictly normal. Except that was Phantom, not Fenton. And definitely _not _in a damn hospital. It was stupid, it wasn’t even like this was the worst he’s ever been hurt! Okay, it was up there. But he wasn’t on the verge of being destroyed! 

Danny’s mental musings get cut off as Lewis sticks his head in the door and slides inside. “Ah, so you _are_ still awake”, walking over and shaking a bottle of sleeping pills, “can you take these? Or something else to help with sleep. Because you do need to sleep”. 

Danny watches him detach the medicine drip, clearly Jazz did talk to him. Danny chuckles slightly, “either you’re really good at rolling with the punches or you deal with weird often. _Technically_ I can, but they aren’t as effective. Have-ta dump the whole thing down my throat to nap”. 

Lewis looks at the bottle and shrugs, Danny must know his body better than anyone else. Speaking as he puts the bottle on the side table, “I wouldn’t recommend it, but it’s your prerogative”, smiling slightly as he sits down in a chair, “a kid with a mini sun, which is apparently a bunch of ectoplasm, in his chest is only the third strangest thing I’ve seen. So yeah, pretty used to weird”. 

Danny breathes out, “_you saw it_”, before shaking his head slightly, he couldn’t help but be very curious over what his core looked like, “I think it’s more like a cool little star, what’d it look like?”. 

Lewis traces a little circle on his own chest, “about yeh big, blueish white, and very bright and glowing. But it didn’t seem to be harming you and it didn’t get in the way of my work, so it’s hardly an issue”, chuckling to himself, “did make me tempted to put on sunglasses though”. 

Danny can’t help but laugh at that, “Be blinded by my glory!”, sighing slightly but being a little more serious, “but, um, since you know it’s there. Which, like, obviously keep that to yourself. Was it cold? Maybe making your tools a little frosty? Since I know you were rooting around in my chest”. 

Lewis tilts his head, there had been a very slight chill to it when he tried to touch it but that was it. Shaking his head, “it was definitely colder than the rest of you, but that’s it. Why?”. 

Danny frowns, “I must have been using up a lot of ectoenergy then”, wiggling a bit, “you know how healthy hearts have a certain look to them? Core’s the same. It should be really bright and really cold. Anything that got really close shoulda frosted over”.

Lewis frowns, so Danny had yet another injury. But one Lewis firmly knew nothing about. At least he has a name for the ball of energy organ, “is there anyway to check it over? Without opening you up like a resealable can. And what about healing it? Also, shouldn’t it also be freezing your organs and bones then?”.

Danny chuckles, reminded of OverGrowth, “it probably does. Sometimes frost forms on my skin or my breath has ice crystals in it. It almost froze me into a popsicle once”, shuffling a bit alwardly and deciding he should just tell the guy this. He was an okay guy it seemed, and very focused on helping or protecting people. He could relate, and Danny’d be pretty bothered if someone he was trying to help misheld information, “see, if I don’t use up the ectoplasm it generates, it’ll just progressively make me colder till it’s just too much”.

Lewis blinks, but didn’t Jasmine say it was actively overproducing ectoplasm? Glancing at the, now detached, medicine bag, “can you use it up here? Because your sister said the medicine was making you produce more. And while you’re pretty chill, I’d rather that not become too literal”. 

Danny blinks and snorts, “okay I would facepalm right but y’know. There’s more than one kind of ectoplasm. The kind in my veins, the one being overproduced, is basic general ectoplasm. The second kind I have stays in my Core, Core ectoplasm. Creative names, I know. But that’s the kind that’ll freeze me into an Dannysicle if it builds up”, shuffling and looking around some, “but yeah I can expel it just fine right now. Don’t need to though”. 

Lewis nods, “that’s good then”, frowning slightly, or maybe it wasn’t actually good, “is that because your Core is weakened though?”.

Danny frowns, “yeah. It’s been converting Core ectoplasm to a surplus of regular ectoplasm. Only reason I’m alive though. Give me a sec, I can check on it myself”. 

Lewis smiles, well that’s convenient and familiar. “Running self diagnostics? I could do with more patients being able to do that effectively”. 

Danny just smirks with his eyes closed. Mentally and telekinetically poking around his Core, moving the ectoplasm some, and trying to not make it look as exhausting as it currently was. Thankfully it was fine, just over worked. The medicine is definitely attempting to attack it though. Blinking a few times, “well the medicine is trying to harm it but it’s fine. Weak and over worked, but not damaged. More of a strained muscle than a torn muscle. Once the medications out of my system, I’ll be okay in a few hours or something”. 

Lewis, meanwhile, had taken the time to check over Danny’s readings and was actively frowning at his ECG. Danny’s heart rate had dropped, and considering that it had already been beyond concerningly slow. Looking at Danny as he had spoken. Well at least he didn’t have any serious injury to this ‘core’. Looking back to the ECG, “well at least one part of you doesn’t need treatment. But-”, pointing at the machine, Danny’s eyes following him, “-is this normal?”.

Danny sighs and shakes his head, “it’s because there’s more ectoplasm in my system. It’s thicker so it’s harder for my heart to help pump. So my Core’s doing more of the work. It’ll probably keep dropping till my levels start going back to normal”. 

See Lewis thinks that’s kind of a problem. How is he supposed to know if Danny’s heart is actually in trouble? “How far can it drop? Safely?”.

Danny worries his lip and shifts around some. Having to blink away his ectoenergy a couple of times, “I, um, well, my heart and Core can completely do each others jobs; in a pinch. I’ve, well, survived without my heart working at all for just over half an hour”, 

Lewis is definitely impressed by that. Though he’s officially more interested in how Danny’s eyes had been green and lit up the room. It was arguably eerie and he clearly knew he did it. What with the blinking. “Guess I just wont worry then. Though I’m guessing you can’t survive with only one indefinitely. Your sister said as much. Nice eyes by the way”. 

Danny coughs, annoyed that Lewis actually notices things, “too much ectoplasm running around for it to go unnoticed”, shrugging, “ectoplasm shows through easiest in the eyes. Windows to the soul, or ghost really, for a reason. And yeah, I need both. My Core can pump and oxygenate my blood but it can’t really clean it. My heart can’t produce ectoplasm. _Technically_ I could just use dialysis or start eating ectoplasm. But...”.

Lewis laughs, nodding, “there’s ways around everything. But yeah no, why remove it, either one, for no real reason”. 

Danny scoffs, “Core’s are ghostly. That’s reason enough to hunters”. 

“I don’t think you’re giving your parents enough credit there”. 

Danny just rolls his eyes with a sigh. He didn’t really think they’d take it out of him but the worry was still there. Huffing, “well still don’t tell them”. 

Lewis shrugs, “it’s not my business what secrets people keep. So long as it doesn’t become medically necessary that I tell them, of course. You are a minor, I really do have to pass things by them. And they are my friends, of which I don’t have a lot”. 

Danny sighs, he understands of course. “At least run it by me first?”. 

Lewis nods as Danny’s eyes turn green and glowy again. Watching Danny shake his head aggressively and blink to make it go away. “In that case, you’re going to have to be honest with me about your health. _All of it._ Even if it’s something I don’t know”, shrugging, “only if it’s relevant though”. 

Danny scoffs, literally no one got complete honesty from him over his health. But technically that wasn’t what he was asking. Just relevant honesty. Like his problem with medicine. Plus he didn’t actually need medical attention in truth. If he let himself heal he could go home in an hour, healthy as a whistle outside of the excess ectoplasm. Well, and the damn legs. Sighing and glaring at the ceiling, “fine”. 

Lewis smirks and rubs Danny’s good shoulder lightly, before picking up the sleeping pill bottle and shaking it, “do you actually want these?”. 

Danny grunts though speaking with slight humour, “I haven’t slept in three days. What do you think?”.

Lewis isn’t sure if he’s serious about that but pops open the bottle anyway. Letting Danny grab it with his teeth, technically Lewis wasn’t supposed to just administer medications directly. Especially ones that hadn’t been approved. But, technically, Danny was the one emptying the bottle into his mouth...with his mouth.

Lewis pockets the bottle as he goes to leave, deciding he really should head home himself, as Danny speaks up, “oh yeah right. I know the paras asked about allergies and my folks said no. That’s not exactly right”. 

Lewis immediately turns around to look at him, “see that, that is something I need to know. What?”.

Danny shrugs, “well I really only thought of it because of the whole ‘people give flowers to the injured’ thing. It’s a flower called Blood Blossoms. Looks like a cross between a rose and tulip. Deep red petals with black vines or stems and black leaves. They also glow purple faintly and give off red mist or steam. They react really nasty with ectoplasm”. 

Lewis makes a damn point to write that description down, “how nasty are we talking?”. 

Danny squints at the memory, “inhaling, ingesting, or touching any part of them will basically make my ectoplasm boil. You’ll notice instantly, because I _will _start screaming and writhing in pain if they so much as get near me”. 

Lewis grimaces, instantly having a flash back to one very particular and rather horrifying incident with the MRI’s, “yeah that sounds really bad. But at least I will know why if it happens this time, not just be left standing and wondering what the Hell’s going on”. 

Danny snorts and shifts slightly, “there’s a story there”, rolling his shoulders, “normally I can handle being near or even brushing up against them. But the more ectoplasm in my system, the more they’ll affect me”. 

Lewis nods, makes sense, “well obviously tell me if someone does show up with them, I’ll remove them. Or I’m guessing your sister knows. Since she clearly knows more about this than Jack and Maddie. Which yes, is odd. But it’s your life”. 

Danny chuckles and nods with a yawn as Lewis leaves. Waiting for a bit before wiggling to be a bit more comfortable and seriously hoping his ectoplasm won’t be running circles in him by the time he wakes up. Or at least it will be doing it at the normal level. 

* * *

Lewis checks in with the hospital early that morning. Deciding it would probably be best if he’s the one to check up on Danny first thing, not some nurse. Who knows what Danny’s body could have done while he was sleeping, what with the green-eyes thing while he was conscious. Which while more noticeable, eyes that seemingly generate light are pretty darn noticeable, aren’t the strangest eyes he’s seen. 

Pushing the door open quietly and smiling at the sleeping Danny. Good, he did get some sleep. Looking over his ECG, glad to see his heart rates up. Still lower than it was when he first got here, so clearly the medications side-affects haven’t worn off fully yet. Plus at least his heart was beating. Really shouldn’t be with taking an entire bottle of Zoloidem. Just another thing on the list of reasons why Danny should be very dead. 

Lewis nods curtly and decides to look Danny over. It really was easier when people were asleep. But he doesn’t even get to start as something catches up with his brain as being completely off. Well, okay, normally it wouldn’t be off. Seeing the sheets laid over him having something under them the whole way across the bed. But Danny _didn’t have legs_. So what the Hell was under the sheets where a fully intact person would have their legs. The shape doesn’t even make sense for legs, which should technically explain it. Except it was also definitely not a pillow and too uniformed to be bunched up sheets. 

Lewis cautiously lifts up the corner of the sheets, having developed an ingrained wariness towards looking underthings with concerning shapes underneath them. But hey, at least Danny had the decency to have whatever weirdness underneath something and obviously so. Giving whoever curious peeper fair warning. Instead of, oh say, just leaving assorted bits of viscera in cupboards or under the couch. Promptly tilting his head at what looked like the end of a white snakes tail, raising an eyebrow over remembering Danny’s joke about his tongue not belonging to a snake. Which still made about as much sense as most comments from people walking up from sedation and on a host of pain medications, did. But maybe that joke was related to this? It would make slightly more sense then. Deciding to go for it and just lift the sheet up fully, after checking that the door was very much shut and no one was scheduled to come by. Blinking down at what effectively did look like a long faintly wiggling large snake tail. Just slightly transparent and made out of bandaging? Those two combined didn’t make sense. Add in that Danny definitely _did not_ have a tail, if that’s what this was, yesterday and that it was definitely never wrapped in bandaging. Lewis is pretty darn sure he would remember something like bandaging a tail. Watching as it wiggles and swishes faintly, sometimes at harsh angles or bits seemingly detaching and evaporating in the air; without ever losing mass, which logically did not make sense but he’s also seen that sort of thing before. Danny looked like a really weird Naga, but not even snake bones could move like this and it’s definitely not made of scales or skin. Leaning to get a closer look, it glowed too, and now that he really looks, seems like it’s made of energy that just looks like bandaging. So that’s a check on Danny’s ectoplasm doing something weird. Very _very_ weird. But hey, at least that sort of explains where the ‘bandaging’ came from. Progress and positives, Lewis. 

Placing the sheet back over him and deciding to check over the more normal, and not at least mildly impossible, body parts. But as soon as he touches Danny’s skin, Danny’s green eyes pop open and he grabs Lewis’s wrist, _hard_. Breaking his arm cast at the elbow and shoulder, as well as shattering it apart around his hand and wrist, in the process. 

The only thing going through Lewis’s head is, ‘well at least it’s my wrist not my throat this time’. While Danny blinks a couple of times before the green becomes blue again and he lets go of Lewis’s wrist, “shit sorry”, Danny chuckles and rubs his neck, not really awake enough to figure out why moving his arm seems like something he shouldn’t be doing, “‘m not a fun person to wake up”, rubbing his eyes and yawning as Lewis just watches him after standing back up right fully. Danny grumbling at him, “you fine though? Didn’t hurt you?”. 

Lewis looks over his wrist quickly, definitely going to bruise but otherwise, “its fine, that’s one serious grip you’ve got there”, deciding against commenting on just how easy it was to accidentally wake Danny, especially when he had rather recently taken an inordinate amount of medication that explicitly impairs someone’s ability to wake up. Instead eyeing the, should still be broken badly, arm as Danny goes to stretch, only to pause and blink. Looking down at his other, still securely secured, arm and muttering, “oh damn right”, looks to the arm, that he absolutely should not be moving around, and chuckling awkwardly, “whoops”. Looking up to Lewis, “I’m guessing you want an explanation for this”, as he shrugs and just stretches out. 

Lewis shrugs, “well it makes sense your muscles might be different, having ectoplasm in them. Besides, the last abnormally strong patient almost killed me, so this is a positive step up really”. But there is definitely something he does want an answer to, as he watches the ‘tail’ curl out from under the sheets slightly as Danny attempts at stretching. Which honestly just looks like wiggling, though Lewis now has a gut feeling Danny could break off all the wrappings, casts and bindings. Hopefully he didn’t screw up any of the metal screws, rods, and plates Lewis put in. It was good work, be a shame to mess that up. 

Danny blinks at Lewis, “wow, being a doctor is more eventful than I thought”, Danny pauses, screws up his face and wiggles some. Lewis can easily read shock and panic flash across Danny’s face. Before he snaps his head down as far as he can and that ‘tail’s tip pokes up in the air, wiggling slightly. 

Danny blinks at the tip of his ghostly tail, the absolute fuck? Not only was it the wrong colour and looked like bandaging not spandex. He can also easily tell he’s not Phantom right now. His tail never comes out on its own as Fenton. It takes and expends too much ectoenergy. But then again, he always had either legs or ghostly tail. So maybe his body just set itself to the one it could do while he was sleeping? Danny looks from it, sliding it back under the sheets, to Lewis; who seems less shocked than Danny does. Meaning either this guy was pretty well impossible to faze or he’d noticed it before Danny had. Chuckling awkwardly, “heh, sooooo...you almost got murdered once?”. 

Lewis levels him with an incredibly unimpressed expression, making Danny rub his neck again. Though he looks over his arm and hand, “uh, you should probably fix this before someone notices”. Lewis looks, somehow, more unimpressed; and stares Danny down as he leaves to fetch supplies. Which he only does because the last time he tried to get closer to a patient whose body was doing weird stuff and whose face was giving clear ‘leave me alone to figure out my shit’ signs, he nearly died. 

Giving Danny the chance to yank up the sheets and get a good look at his ghostly tail. Wiggling it about and curling it around his hand so he could feel it, slight texture of bandaging instead of spandex, before letting it do its own thing. Watching it wave energetically and clearly in good health. Maybe it was easier to form it without having legs to transform. But how was it forming at all then? Maybe pulling down ectoplasm from the rest of him? Well however it was working, it wasn’t using up large amounts of ectoenergy or ectoplasm, which he definitely still had a little too much of. Glancing at the door before turning his tail intangible and changing it back to legs. Or at least he tries to. Blinking, leaning back into his pillows and wiggling his ghostly tail around, “okay?”, before he screws up his face and starts laughing, wheezing into his hand, “Phantom limbs! Literally! Oh my Ancients!”. Wheezing some more before getting his tail tangible and under the sheets again. Before deciding to just take stock of himself, his arm made it obvious he’d started healing again in his sleep. Likely from there being just too much ectoplasm for his body to hold off anymore. Of course all the cuts and scrapes were gone, there’s still some nasty bruising, breaks were now cracks, he could feel a few partly reformed ribs and organs. But he can’t help but smile over the bandages around his waist being uncomfortably tight, regardless of whether that meant things were regrowing or not, he was happy all the same. Sighing and deciding to try sending away the ghostly tail, it was great to still technically have the limbs, limb?, but Lewis seeing was bad enough. Muttering, “oh damnit, Ancients end me”, as it doesn’t work. Putting his one arm over his face and groaning into it, obviously his body decided it needed to have something there. Well here’s hoping that if he curls it up enough and under him a bit he can hide it. 

Lewis clears his throat as he reenters, putting the supplies on the side table and watching as Danny gives him his arm, “okay first, stop abusing your arm. You’re supposed to be healing. Second, you better hope you didn’t damage any of your metal. That’s a pain to fix and I like my work. Third-”, pointing at where Danny’s ‘tail’ is, “-what? I mean, still not the weirdest thing I’ve seen, but what? You know I have to check out your wrappings now right?”. To say Lewis had a lot of questions would be an understatement. Was there even bandaging anymore? What’d the wound look like? How was this attached to Danny? If he had to guess, he’d say the energy, ectoplasm?, it was made of was simply seeping out of Danny’s pores; and it wasn’t like bandaging was completely impermeable. 

Danny chuckles awkwardly as Lewis gets to work, “I _am_ healing and, wait what?”, Danny tilts his head, “metal?”. 

Lewis looks at him and squints before continuing on redoing Danny’s arm, “yeah. Pretty much all your bones, especially your spine. It’s how we support and hold bone in place. Lots of screws, wires, pins, rods; the whole deal”, smirking, “I like surprising patients after, by sending them through detectors and x-rays. Like I said, I like to play, so I make shapes and designs. If you look at your arms at the right angles, you have matching metal lions”. 

Danny blinks for a second before laughing, Lewis notices that it sounds a bit distorted and echoey. Danny chuckles and shakes his head, “you're my kind of doctor. Shoulda done some ghosties”. 

Lewis smirks and winks at Danny, making Danny laugh. Before Lewis points at the sheet covered ‘tail’, “maybe should have done snakes”. 

Danny chuckles, slightly more awkwardly though, “well, sorry but your art is probably already wrecked”. 

Lewis squints at him and sighs, “there is a reason us surgeons put that stuff in there you know, and that will absolutely show up on your follow up x-rays”. 

Danny sighs, “and there’s a reason I never get really sick”, shrugging slightly but making sure not to move the arm Lewis is recasting, “ectoplasm is _really _aggressive towards foreign things. Add in my overproduction issue. I’d be shocked if any of it’s left”. 

“One of the medications you were given was made to halt that kind of reaction, bodies usually aren’t too happy about having metal shoved in them. But I’m guessing that kind of medication doesn’t work with ectoplasm? Still though, it’s titanium not low grade steel. I have standards”. 

Danny smirks, “oh I hope you have standards for what you stick in my perfectly strange body”, chuckling and glancing at the door quickly, “but you’ve obviously noticed my parents jumpsuits yeah? There’s a reason for those. They are specially made to handle long term and frequent contact with ectoplasm. Because ectoplasm will literally eat _everything_. It’s incredibly corrosive and acidic. Could even call it radioactive. Technically the terms ectoplasmic. So anything, titanium included, with prolonged exposure to ectoplasm that doesn’t have an anti-ecto coating will absolutely dissolve”.

Lewis is officially rather confused. Shouldn’t that have made handling his internals and blood dangerous? What about all the samples? How is this not actively killing Danny? And now he’s got the image of green ectoplasm with a bunch of very particular toothy faces eating all the metal bits, which is more than a little odd. Shaking his head and finishing up Danny’s arm before asking, “so why are you fine then? And you know, your scraps were just put in the regular biohazard”. 

Danny glances at his chest, “My ectoplasm doesn’t recognise the rest of me as foreign. It’s ‘cause of some DNA matching up thingy. And at this point I wouldn’t worry about my ‘scraps’, ectoplasm evaporates after a bit. It’s constantly shedding off ectoenergy actually. Absorbing that shredded off ectoplasm is how people normally get ecto-contaminated”. 

Lewis nods, made sense and really was like it was radioactive then. But obviously it wasn’t too serious, since it was clearly safe to be around Danny. But speaking of shedding gets him thinking back on the ‘tail’, it had indeed looked like it was shedding off and evaporating bits of itself. So clearly his ectoplasm could indeed form outside of him somehow. If it was sentient that would make sense, really wouldn’t even be weird, but it doesn’t seem to be sentient. Tilting his head, well actually, Jazz did say that ectoplasm could act as brain waves, so maybe Danny could control and feel it all like it was muscle and skin. Humming slightly before pointing at Danny’s ‘tail’ again, “pretty sure your ‘tail’ was shedding like that earlier. And it looks to be made of energy as well. Ectoplasm I’m guessing. How’s it forming outside of your body? You must have some level of control over it?”. 

Danny blushes and coils his tail up some, “heh, yeah. More or less anyway. Ectoplasm’s kind of complicated. See all ghosts have in their bodies is ectoplasm. So ectoplasm is pretty much everything. Blood, organs, bones, skin, brain. Everything. Very useful and helpful”, poking the tip of his tail out and wiggling it some, “I’m assuming my body just decided to form it because of the whole ‘there’s supposed to be limbs here so let’s fix that’ thing”. 

Lewis can’t help but smile, reminded of his friends, “so could you just make tendrils out of yourself? And why not make legs instead of a tail?”. 

Danny squints at him and laughs, why was tendrils this guy’s first idea? It’s a damn good thing Tuck wasn’t here to hear that comment. Shaking his head, “doc what? Ectoplasm has some limits. It can pretty well only do or copy what I can or have. Or what all ectoplasm can do. Humans don’t normally have tendrils, same with ectoplasm. So no, I can’t do that with it”. Danny’s got no idea what to make of Lewis actually looking a little disappointed about that, and he doesn’t really want to understand. 

“So this tail thing is something all ectoplasm can do then?”.

Danny nods, “yeah. As for why my body went with tail instead of legs, I don’t fucking know really. Never lost a damn limb before. Can’t make it into legs either, so clearly legs are a no no right now. Also won’t go away”, chuckling, “so I legit have a literal phantom limb”. 

Lewis tilts his head, it did make sense that his body would just want what it lost back. That’s largely why phantom limbs happened. The brain being unable to understand or accept the loss of a limb. It just seemingly considers this tail acceptable enough, or maybe there was an advantage to having the tail. Or at least maybe his ectoplasm ‘thought’ there was. Standing up and putting away what he doesn’t need, “well I still definitely need to see the bandagings, somehow. Which reminds me, why is the tail bandaged?”. 

Danny chuckles, this was going to be weird and awkward. He’d definitely have to out his intangibility. Could just pass it off as an ectoplasm thing. Wouldn’t be wrong really and his ghostly tail is purely ectoplasm right now. Danny blinks, right Lewis had already experienced intangibility with his core. The whole ‘untouchable’ thing. “Ghostly tails just copy the pattern and texture of either skin colour or what ever colours are ‘on top’ of the legs. So it’s copying the look and feel of the bandaging”, shifting around some, “you’ll have to redo the bandaging probably. They feel kind of tight. You can just phase them through my tail. All ectoplasm can be intangible. The Core just always is”, Danny phases part of his tail through the sheets and lets it wiggle around erratically. 

Lewis smirks, “convenient”, though if all ectoplasm can do that, and clearly on command, shouldn’t all the ectoplasm in him be able to? Obviously it wouldn’t just fall out of him, clearly ectoplasm could sort of suspend itself in the air. So logically he possibly could make himself, all of himself, intangible. He was also clearly avoiding having to explicitly say that. So he had genuine powers then, probably more of them, instead of just weird physiology. Made sense to hide that. Deciding to get to work, and yeah it’s more than a little strange going through Danny’s tail, he can feel that it’s made of strong energy and it seems completely incapable of holding still. Not the weirdest thing he’s stuck his hands in and honestly it’s more pleasant, and way less messy, than digging through peoples guts. Even if there was a kind of power to getting himself splattered in someone else’s blood. 

Lewis tilts his head after he gets all the bandaging off, “question, do you heal differently?”. 

Danny’s actively watching the door, someone walking in on this would be bad. Sure, technically no one should be. But still. Danny absent-mindedly fiddles with the removed bandaging with his tail tip, “like I said. I’m fine, would have been fine. Don’t need the worry”. 

Lewis squints at him, “are you trying to say that _all _your injuries would have healed _on their own_”. 

“Heh, yeah”, Danny quickly sends him an apologetic glance, “but like I said, you did what you thought best, so you’re good. It’s cool. I just feel bad about wasting all this time and resources. Not too mention people worrying and being away from Amity”, that reminder makes Danny worry his lip some. He hadn’t heard or sensed any big issues in his lair but still. Leaving it and all his humans unprotected bothered him at the very base level. Twitching a little over just really wanting home. 

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, Danny had a big heart but again his face looked physically pained over causing people problems. Even if he really wasn’t. This is exactly what hospitals are for. Even if he apparently didn’t need it. Which, okay, that was weird. The scars made it clear he did need a level of medical care, just less. If Lewis had known that, he would have brought Danny in secretly. Just given him the treatments he actually needed. Frowning slightly as he re-bandages his torso, which is definitely regrowing. Good thing Lewis has seen this level of wonky healing before. “So you heal regenitively instead of repairitively. But all this at least helps right? Well, except the legs I guess. You really like helping people huh? Seems to really bug you not being able to”. 

Danny twitches slightly again, “understatement”, Danny sighs because technically this was a ‘health thing’ he literally needed to protect, to help. And all ghosts, even him, needed to be in their lair more often than not. Sure Danny could stay away technically, he didn’t need to be there to replenish his ectoplasm, but he’d basically wind up with an extreme version of home sickness. And sure, the fact that he was slowly ecto-contaminating his hospital room with his ectoplasm helped. But it still wasn’t his lair. Technically he could make it part of it, with time, but he’s not about to make a habit of showing up in a hospital. 

Lewis sighs, watching Danny having a mental conversation and clearly debating something. Putting away the supplies and excess bandaging, leaning against the back of a chair, “what aren’t you telling me?”, deciding to give Danny a bit of an out, though hoping he doesn’t take it, “and my ‘Doctor stuff’ is helping right? At least making you heal faster or better?”. 

Danny worries his lip some more, eyeing Lewis some. The guy was arguably more normalised to weird than anyone he had ever met. Possibly more than his parents even. And technically it would be good for him to have a doctor friend. Plus it was pretty obvious his first priority was helping, fixing people. Even if he was weird about it. Kinda like another version of himself. Danny tries to fix and protect things before they get hurt, Lewis tries to fix and protect things after they got hurt. They both did it weird too. Danny hits shit and gets territorial, Lewis plays in people’s guts and makes pretty pictures out of it. Plus, Danny’s pretty sure Lewis is doing stuff he’s not really allowed to do. There’s no way someone would be so calm and okay with, definitely against hospital rules, messing with medication so willy-nilly, without having done so before. Meaning that, like Danny, helping and doing what’s best was more important than the rules. Giving what he hopes is a comforting smile, “yeah you’re helping. Bandaging and stitching helps. But, um, I’m actively stopping myself from healing as I normally do. Kicked in some while I was sleeping anyway though. And there is, like, a reason for my protectiveness”. 

Lewis crosses his arms and makes a point to look unimpressed. Though he’s actually incredibly curious how someone can just ‘turn off’ their own healing. Obviously it’s got to be ectoplasmic healing, since he can clearly control his ectoplasm. But curiosity isn’t really appropriate when giving someone shit, “I’m glad it did. Please tell me there is some reason you’re intentionally keeping yourself injured. And if the reason for the protectiveness is somehow medical, you better well tell me”. 

Danny huffs, “‘cause I’m in a hospital and my parents _don’t know._ I’m trying to keep my weird unnoticed. If I came in one day unconscious with what I know is a very long list of horrifying injuries, and just walked out the next with nothing but bruising and some fractures. That would be very noticeable”, shrugging and looking around, “that’s ignoring the legs though. No clue how or if that will heal”. 

Lewis nods, that did make sense. Danny was entered officially, so he couldn’t just say, delete any MRI results or records of him being here. And his parents do know he’s here and had an idea how bad he is, or should be anyway. “Okay, I’ll give you that. But heal whatever’s covered up. Any further scans can mysteriously disappear or be easily fabricated. Now explain the protectiveness?”. 

Danny just blinks at him, firmly thrown. Sure he’d had plenty of teens just throw the law to the side for him, except they usually did that after finding out he was Phantom. Was Lewis just seriously _that _good of a guy? Quite literally willing to actively disregard and explicitly violate laws and rules for the safety of others? Muttering, “I’m starting to genuinely wonder if you’re, like, an alternate version of me who’s into medicine instead of space”, shaking his head and speaking at a more normal volume, “seriously? You’d do that? You’re a really good dude”. 

“I’ve done it for a guy who came in with nearly all his organs atrophied. He should have died in an hour at most. He came back the next day in better health than a twenty something fitness buff”. 

Danny blinks and smirks devilishly, “well damn then. Ancients, I’m a lucky idiot. Would the government try to kill him if they found out about him too?”. 

Lewis coughs at that, point taken. So Danny had more than just personal reasons and worries about his family to keep this hidden. Nodding, “yeah. So no, I won’t be telling tales about you”. 

Danny nods and stares at the ceiling some before nodding again, feeling a bit thrown, “alright then. You have horrible luck with getting weird patients. And I have the luck of the young and reckless”, sighing and shifting a bit uncomfortably, “so obviously ectoplasm’s a ghost thing. And I’ve told you how it basically works as a brain. So ghost brain, yeah? And well brains of different species have their own ways of thinking. Different instincts and needs. One of these needs is called an Obsession. Name kinda gives it away. Basically anyone with even a little ectoplasm in them become a little more intense or extreme about one thing that’s more important to them above other things. More ectoplasm equals more, I guess, intense”, shrugging and twitching some, “my thing’s protecting. Helping. Keeping people from being hurt. That kind of thing. Jazz has psychology, Dash’s is football, Paulina’s is beauty, etcetera. Everyone in Amity has their _thing_. It’s just more for me”, clearing his throat, “the medical bit is ‘cause of it being more for me. If, say, someone trapped Jazz in something that made it impossible for her to do her studies, she’d just be a little anxious and annoyed. She can just chose to not study. But me? It’s a need. I have to be helpful and protective. I’ll pretty well go insane otherwise._ I absolutely would cut off my own legs to satisfy my Obsession_”, Danny stops and wheezes slightly, twitching a fair bit. Talking about his Obsession, especially the possibility of failing it always freaked him out. It was so wrong and felt like he was baring his very soul and letting it be scrapped raw. And now he can’t help but think about how him not being at school meant there was no one to take Dash’s hits. How ghosts could attack and someone could get hurt, even other hunters; they couldn’t heal like him! What if someone tries to steal the portal again? If the food or water got poisoned, he’s the only one who would be able to smell it. What if Dani is melting again but can’t find him? He’s the only one with the stuff that can help her, he really should give Val, Sam and Tuck cans. What if someone or the town gets sucked into the Ghost Zone again? _What if Vlad?!?_ And, Ancients, he’s making everyone worry. Sam and Tuck probably think it’s worse that it is ‘cause _hospital_. Jazz is trying to cover for him. His parents, Ancients, they were probably afraid he was going to _die_. Would they all be so focused on and worried about him they’d miss something? Or hurt themselves? 

Lewis watches as Danny stares at the ceiling, shaking, with his tail swishing around almost aggressively. Very much like an agitated cat that either needs the thing bothering them to go away or a suitable distraction. He was even doing the twitching thing, and his eyes were green again. Clearly he wasn’t exaggerating this and that is rather concerning. He can’t exactly be helpful from a bed. Lewis isn’t great at dealing with people being emotional, watching the panic clearly rising in Danny’s eyes. But he could handle people loosing their shit with a, probably unnerving, level of calm. Deciding whatever rabbit hole train of thought Danny’s spiralling into firmly doesn’t need to continue, going for comforting and likely missing by a mile, “well at least I already got cutting off your legs covered?”. 

Danny blinks, jarred, that statement was startling and odd enough to make his brain completely blank for a few seconds. It was honestly the fact that he sounded like he was genuinely trying to be reassuring and helpful, that was more jarring than what he said really. Danny would say that as a joke about himself actually. Danny turns his head to look at Lewis, who gives him a confident but awkward smile. Making Danny completely lose it and start laughing. 

Lewis is tempted to give himself a mental pat on the back for, hopefully, subjugating Danny’s mental freak out. But it honestly probably only helped because Danny was strange and had a dark sense of humour. He probably should have made a joke instead actually. 

Danny wheezes some more, “I would point at you but I don’t want to fuck up your work again!”, shaking his head, “you’re great. Which probably means you’re weird. But, uh, thanks? That wasn’t comforting, like, at all. But it works so whatever”. 

Lewis shrugs, “that tracks for me honestly, so I’ll take it. But you know I have to ask, is there anyway for you to satisfy this here? Because you definitely have to stay in bed and there’s no way I can release you home yet”, trying to throw in some humour, “to be sneakily helpful in a place that isn’t crawling with professionals who know exactly what you shouldn’t be doing”. 

Danny snorts, though looks slightly freaked again, “they’re practically professionals too. But beyond helping out with checking me over and providing info, not really. Which is a _lot_ less than I normally do”, blinking and realising something, “I’m not, like, being forced to tell you shit though. So don’t worry about that”. 

Lewis frowns slightly, “good, I definitely wouldn’t want that. A friend of mine sometimes doesn’t have a choice what he tells people, his mouth just runs out of his control, sure it can be helpful but it’s not good or desirable really”. 

Danny scrunches up his eyebrows and snorts, “you have a weird friend or patient for everything. Mine are pretty strange too. One doesn’t eat anything but meat and has what’s been dubbed a ‘meat sense’. Can even tell what kind of meat you had for last nights supper and how it was prepared. Can tell by smell exactly what kind of meat or cut a piece of meat is. The other, only eats things without faces, has a pet Venus flytrap, and was once in an arranged marriage with a ghost dragon”. 

Lewis laughs and nods, that was pretty odd. “And of course, Jack and Maddie are rather unique themselves. Lots of good company”. 

Danny chuckles awkwardly and looks at the clock, Lewis had been here a while. Looking at him and raising an eyebrow, “aren't you supposed to be working?”.

“I am. You’re my patient”.

“Don’t you have others? And surgeries?”. 

Lewis shrugs, “I’m not a people person. Once folks come off their medication I keep my distance. Surgery’s not till the afternoon today”, smirking, “as the head surgeon I make my own schedule. So really, I’ve just got paperwork, very boring paperwork. So you’re protecting me from really boring adult responsibilities”. 

Danny screws up his face a bit and Lewis is pretty sure he messed up, but then Danny laughs, “good then I guess! I’m pretty good at dealing with people, from afar anyway. I’m a lot better at choosing my words than you. Only let my mouth really fly around friends. Though I guess we’re friends at this point”. 

Lewis nods with a smile, “I watch my tongue normally. But you’re weird enough to put up with me apparently. That’s why I’m friends with your parents. They’re just weird enough”.

Danny chuckles, made sense. Like how Tuck and Sam were weird enough. Even Val was weird enough, she just also so happened to want him dead. Well, okay, destroyed was a better word. Raising an eyebrow at him, “why we never see you ‘round then? Busy doctor life?”. 

Lewis shrugs, “Jack and Maddie aren’t great at keeping in touch. But yes, I’m often busy and I have to move around a lot. I usually get transferred hospitals after a while, once the staff complain about me enough”. 

“Why they heck are they bitching about you?”. 

“I’m off putting. Too weird and not exactly a sympathetic person. Enjoying gutting people and making designs with flesh is generally considered ‘disturbing’”. 

Danny tilts his head and nods a little, “okay when you put it like that, it is pretty weird. I usually creep people out after a while too though, so I feel ya”. 

“Let me guess, ectoplasm having its own way of thinking thusly making you act off sometimes”. 

Danny nods, “ghost are, ironically, creepy and spooky by nature. They’re predators too. So I’m like that sometimes”, shrugging, “subtly usually. But that creeps people out more I think. I know my folks get startled by how quiet I can move”. 

Lewis takes in the slight smirk and chuckles, “clearly you enjoy that some”, just like two certain friends of his. 

Danny smiles toothily then, “I’m a thing of mischief”. As Lewis gets up, “coffee?”. Danny grins and nods eagerly, “black and strong. Don’t matter if it’s a little cold”.

Lewis chuckles as he heads out. Of course he wasn’t bothered by cold, he basically had a ball of ice in his chest. Passing by that probably cools any food he eats down near instantly. 

Returning with two cups of coffee, both black and a straw in one. Positioning the side table so Danny can easily sip from the straw, as he asks, “so how long _am _I stuck here anyway?”. 

Lewis sits back down, “normally, with the sheer amount done to you, three months at least. But since, as far as the hospital knows, you’re not having any pain problems, healing well, have less injuries than previously thought, have parents with medical knowledge and training, and will have the head surgeon keeping an eye on you. About a month. But if, say, you genuinely _need_, not just want, to go home. I could probably wrangle it down to a week total”. Lewis is just not going to make assumptions that anything about Danny is normal now. 

Danny sips at his coffee, it was weak honestly but that’s hospital coffee for you, and it was way better than more damn apple juice or milk. A week was a long ass time, _three months_ was near physically painful to consider. Especially when he didn’t need to be here! Sighing, “I mean, if it’ll get you in trouble don’t. I can deal with a month”. 

Lewis sighs, again Danny was avoiding something. He may have a literal need and obsession to help, but he was horrible at accepting it. Probably viewing it as causing problems for other people and thus the opposite of being helpful. “But is it bad for your health to stay away?”. 

Danny tries to sound mildly insulted, “who needs something like that?”. 

Lewis gives him dubious eyebrows, “I have a friend who could die without chocolate”. 

“Your friend group is concerning at this point”. 

“_Danny_”. 

Danny rolls his eyes and huffs, “why does everyone say my name when they’re scolding me?”, after a bit of Lewis just staring at him with raised eyebrows, “Ancients alright man. It’s another ghost ectoplasm need instinct thingy. All ghosts have lairs, They need to be in them frequently to replenish their ectoplasm effectively and heal quicker. I don’t have that problem though”, shrugging, “I’ll just get really strong homesickness”. 

Lewis shrugs, that wasn’t really bad for anyone then. But it would be annoying to put up with. Not to mention probably intensify the Obsession thing. Plus the hospital staff would probably be glad to be rid of Lewis for a while. Maybe disappearing for a while every so often would make them less likely to try transferring him. And he knew they’d want the Fenton’s gone as soon as was safe. “That’s reason enough I’d say. I could use something like a paid vacation anyway”, Danny looks slightly confused so he explains, “if I just move in with my good friends for a while, that counts as having an on call doctor well enough”. 

Danny blinks and starts laughing, “oh Ancients. _That’s your plan_? Our house is one part death trap, one part biohazard, and one part questionable food. Sam and Tuck won’t even stay over for more than a night or two”. 

Lewis chuckles and shrugs, “sounds like med school dorms. And it can’t be worse than finding a pile of intestines under the sofa or a cup full of teeth in the fridge”. 

Danny mouths, ‘the fuck?’, before shaking his head, “we literally have a portal to another dimension in our basement. Our supper often involves food spontaneously coming to life and attacking us; for some reason the turkey is always really good with knives. There are weapons disguised as other things everywhere. We have a blimp that can turn into a jet _on our roof_. And that’s not even including that Amity, in general, is dangerous. Ghosts are a common thing. Picking fights, blowing things up. We don’t get tourists or visitors for a reason”. 

Lewis blinks and pulls a face, dipping his head slightly. That _was _really weird. It tracked for Jack and Maddie honestly...weren’t they actually trying to build a portal? Huh, guess that worked out. So dangerous house and town, he’s definitely not telling any of the staff about any of that. But it could be interesting, so positives. Shrugging, “well I’m glad that project worked out for them then. But I’m guessing that’s why there are ghosts in town? And for all the ecto-contamination, including yours? And I’ve gotten good at being cautious about what I touch or eat. A friend likes to cook with blood sometimes”, tapping his chin, “which oddly works really well with chocolate”. 

“Lewis-”, pausing and tilting his head, “you know, I just realised I don’t even know your actual name. Anyway. Yes and you _seriously _have an issue with collecting weird friends. I mean, I’m hardly an exception, but still. Where the Zone do you find all these people?”.

Lewis shrugs, “luck I guess. And, if I’m honest, I’ve just been talking about technically two this whole time. They’re really my only genuine friends”, sighing, “and yeah was kind of warned to hold off on my name by your sister”. 

Danny squints at him, wondering why the Zone Jazz would do that? But also firmly confused by this guy just having the weirdest two friends ever, no wonder he was so unfazed. “Why technically? And why’d she do that?”. 

Lewis shrugs, “something about a bad experience with someone of the same name. And those two are very attached. Complete package deal and they’re never really apart”. 

Danny tilts his head, “that’s even weirder actually. Lovers? And-”, Danny pauses, screws up his face, and then pales a fair bit, “oh fuck, your name’s _Dan_, isn’t it?”. 

Lewis nods and Danny damn _shivers_. Before grumbling, “yeah I’m forgetting that factoid. It’s just Lewis”. 

Lewis clears his throat, “Lewis is perfectly fine. Normally only two, well three, call me anything else, though Jack and Maddie call me by my name. And yeah, I’m pretty sure those two are lovers, but they haven’t exactly confirmed that”. 

Danny just stares at Lewis, making a damn point to point out to himself how much he does not look like him or Dan. Uh, his fucked up Dan. Fuck no, it’s just Lewis. And shit right, this guy has a ton in common with Danny. Danny even made are ‘are you an alternate me’ joke. The guy derives some level of pleasure and enjoyment from cutting people open and playing with their insides. Danny shakes his head slightly, but _Dan _would never close people back up. Or be helpful, at all. Yeah, okay, different train of thought. Lewis was a _good fucking dude_. Just great. Very not _Dan_. Plus, he must have been around way longer than Danny has even been fully or partly alive, right? Squinting at him, “you got proof you’re older than twenty-six?”.

Lewis is making a point of not looking confused. But he pulls out his wallet and lets Danny flip through all his different ID badges and license. Who eventually grunts and hands them back, looking far better, “okay good, I’m good. But yeah, you’re just gonna be a Lewis”, shrugging a bit stiffly, “might do some good attaching _that _name to someone not trying to murder me and everyone I care about though”. 

Lewis blinks, that’s more than enough reason to dislike a name. Deciding to not touch that subject at all. Though Dan is kind of a shortened version of Daniel. So Danny probably got called that occasionally. Which he didn’t even have to ask to know Danny wouldn’t react well to. “Well I’m quite fine as ‘a Lewis’. It’s my name all the sa-”. Lewis gets cut off by his pager going off and promptly leaving the room. Which Danny apparently finds funny, even if the laughs a little hollow. 

Danny mutters about how, “his patient sense damn well better interrupt him at the most inconvenient times too. He can’t be the only one with a sense that has a horrid sense of timing”. Before Lewis comes back, “for once it wasn’t another patient”, pushing the door open fully just for two teens to rush past him. 

Tuck making a face at Danny and putting a finger over his mouth instantly, “don’t you say shit or I _will _launch all of us out the window. The doctor guy too for good measure”. Danny just smirks and snickers, “I don’t have to say shit. You’re thinking it”. 

“I hate you”. 

Lewis looks around a bit awkwardly, not sure if he should respond to that. And threatening to hurt someone in a hospital bed was decidedly not the normal way to greet them; weird friends indeed. The girl turns to him, hands on her hips and asks, “so just how much did he bang up? I’m asking you because he’ll lie”. 

“Hey!”, Danny spits his straw at her, before rolling his eyes and nodding at Lewis, “it’s cool. My friends know me well. Don’t have much in the way of secrets”. 

Sam and Tucker squint at him. Wondering if he _means _something by that. Tucker raising an eyebrow, “you gifted him a _Frying Pan_?”. 

Danny shakes his head, “things have been plenty _spooky _but there hasn’t been a single _Pan _in here. All he’s gotten in a new _Fan_”. 

Lewis damn well knows he’s missing something here. Deciding to comment on the only thing that makes sense, “I don’t think anyone has ever given me a frying pan. Cat left a mouse on one once though. That might have been a friends fault actually”. 

Tucker snickers and looks to Lewis, though points at Danny, “a prick nailed a dead badger to his door once”. 

Lewis shrugs, that was pretty messed up to do to a teenager, but, “a friend made a pile of various heads in their bedroom once. Forgot about it too. The smell was not fun”. 

Danny chuckles and makes a firm point to not imagine _Dan_ making a pile of heads, “your friends, I tell you”. 

While Lewis nods at the slightly glaring goth girl, “I feel like a bit of a broken record, but. He should be dead. Very dead. Broke pretty well everything from the neck down. Lost some organs, got a lot of metal, lost some limbs, got rather high on prescription drugs. Over all very interesting, had fun”. 

Tucker snickers, “Danny on drugs, would have liked to see that”. While Sam glares at Danny and crosses her arms, “Danny goddammit”, before yanking up the sheet. 

Danny wiggles the tip of his tail at her and steals Tucker’s hat with it. Tucker clamouring right over him to fetch it back, which Lewis nearly cringes over, obviously they knew about his healing otherwise that was really messed up to do. Though Lewis is also both surprised and impressed that the tail actually had working prehensility. 

Sam glances back at the doctor, who doesn’t really seem phased, if anything he’s looking at Tucker funny, before she looks to Danny and raises an eyebrow. Danny shrugs, “it won’t go away, you try hiding that from the guy who’s supposed to notice odd body shit. Plus, Lewis is cool. Great dude. Not a murderer”. 

Lewis blinks at that, guess he was still on with the Dan name. Which was probably understandable. While the dark skinned friend sticks his head back up over the bed, “shit dude, did you make a friend? One that hasn’t tried to off you yet?”. 

“Fuck you Tuck”. 

Lewis chuckles and decides to just sit down, probably would seem least awkward, “death has been brought up a lot in a very short amount of time. But _technically_, all surgery runs the risk of death. So technically, it is kind of like attempted murder if it’s unnecessary”. 

Danny blinks and starts laughing. While Sam and Tucker eyeball the doctor. Seeing exactly why they were friendly. Doctor guy was _weird_. Sam tilts her head, “wait, you did surgery on him? So you’re his doctor and surgeon?”.

Lewis nods, “Dr. Lewis. Head surgeon”, nodding at Danny, “I like how they don’t even ask what surgery I did”. 

Danny tilts his head some, “all of it I assume? And this is Sam and Tuck. Which is probably obvious at this point”, looking to Sam and Tuck, “before you ask, yes I’m absolutely attempting to hide the ghostly tail from my folks. Lewis knows I’m a weird _human_ kid with ectoplasm and weird healing. Also, he literally poked my Core. So he knows shit”, smirking, “also pretty well decided to move into FentonWorks to ‘keep an eye on me’ so I can leave sooner”. 

Both Sam and Tucker slowly turn to look at Lewis, “do you have a death wish?”. 

Lewis shrugs, “you’re not the first to ask me that. One friend asked me the same pretty much every day for a month because I didn’t ditch my other friend after the whole attempted murder and implied cannibalism thing”. 

Sam shrugs and smirks at Danny, “that’s not really worse than dating one many times attempted would be murderer”. 

While Danny scoffs, “we worked”, before looking at Lewis with a raised eyebrow, “but isn’t the one friend probably dating the other? Sounds like they didn’t exactly approve”. 

Lewis chuckles, “oh he didn’t approve. I believe he said ‘oh god they’re killing you! I’m so sorry!’. My wife basically assaulted them in the hospital and the two had what was honestly a lovers quarrel”. 

Danny snorts, “was this the patient that had atrophied organs and was hours away from death?”. 

Sam and Tucker look between the two as Lewis nods and chuckles, Danny’s friends knew about Danny’s weird so obviously they were pretty well safe to be open with, “yup. And the other one was actually causing it too. By accident apparently. Not sure I really believe that. But, hey! they worked it out. Positives right?”. 

Sam shakes her head at Lewis, “wow, you’re just a magnet for self-destructive idiots aren’t you?”. 

Danny smirks, “did he at least get back at them for that?”. 

Lewis is pretty sure those two were constantly getting back at each other. “I’d say so. Nearly inadvertently suffocated them. Pretty sure the two made up officially after throwing each other into the ocean and blowing some stuff up”. 

Tucker nods, “that seems pretty reasonable”. Lewis is firmly sure it’s not to most people. But his pager going off calls him away. Waving it over his shoulder, “real patient this time. I’ll be seeing you Danny. Make sure you _actually_ heal”. 

Danny grumbles, “yeah yeah. Already on that”. While Sam shakes her head, “so he really knows then huh?”. 

“Yeah. Not everything obviously. He’s less fazed by weird than even you guys. Though I’m pretty sure one or maybe both his friends are just as weird, if not weirder, than me. So it makes sense”, Danny blinks, “ah! Right! He’s actually a family friend. Known my parents a while apparently. Which, yeah, was worrying, their track record with old friends isn’t exactly good. But he’s good”. 

Tucker snorts, “weird for sure. You got lucky dude. But how bad are you _really_. And your legs?”. 

Danny sighs, “bad but not that bad. My original injuries were top ten at most. But at this point and over all? Top three. The medication they put me on messed with my ectoplasm for a while. Plus I’ve had to force down my healing, which yes, is what he was just referring to. And Lewis hacked off my legs. And Tuck, I don’t fucking know. I’ve never lost limbs. Before you ask, yes I tried changing my tail to legs. Nada. Pretty well decided my body just was not having the whole missing half itself thing. Couldn’t do legs so bam! tail”, Danny pauses and snorts. All three starting laugh. Danny wheezing, “you’d think my body’d be _chill _with being only _half _something by now!”. 

Sam sits on the edge of the bed and pokes his wrappings, “I’m guessing you’re fine under this? It’s been twenty-four hours or so right?”. 

Danny nods, wiggling around some and quickly checking himself over, “yeah. Just the typical bruising and cracks left. Which, yes, is more than I normally have at this point but that’s expected. The legs are the only worryingly thing”, sighing, “I really don’t know if they’ll grow back. And you know my folks, already deciding they’ll ‘build me legs’. And while I’m sure they’d make something, whether it would work or not being debatable, I’d rather have my actual legs. And oh fuck, does everyone at school know?”.

Tucker pats his shoulder, “nope. Just that you’re in the hospital after a serious car crash. Everyone was both confused that happened to a Fenton and unsurprised that it was you, of all people, who got hurt”. 

Sam smiles and digs in her bag, “speaking of that, here”. 

Danny takes the card with his tail and snorts at it. Especially opening it and seeing a threat from Dash right off the bat. About how he ‘better not take the easy way out of his scheduled beatings’. At least Lancer’s poem seems truly heartfelt. Putting the card on table and slipping his tail back under the sheets. “I shouldn’t be surprised”, poking them both through the sheet with his tail, “the shit am I supposed to do about this? Hiding it here is one thing. They don’t want to even talk about or look at the whole leg situation really. But at home?”, Danny shakes his head. His parents weren’t the sensitive type. Pretty well as soon as he was ‘healed’ they be asking to see and get him to try out legs. Outside of trying to be helpful anyway. It was going to be extremely weird them trying to be really nurturing, having hardly gotten that from them. Plus, it was _his _job to be protecting _them_. His need. 

Tucker shrugs, “I dunno dude”. While Sam sighs, “well at least it doesn’t look like Phantom’s”. 

Tucker snorts and pokes at it through the sheets, “might want to keep something of colour or whatever over the whacked off segment. A human flesh coloured ghostly tail would look really wrong”. 

Danny pulls a face, “yeah...I could have done without that mental image”. 

Sam snorts, “you’ll probably be seeing it, depending on how long it takes your legs to grow back”.

Danny sighs, “when and _if_-”. 

Both of them interrupting, “when”. 

Danny looks at their stern faces and laughs. The confidence in his wacky healing was nice, and hopefully not misplaced. Deciding to just go along with it, “well until then, literal phantom limb. Just not Phantom coloured”. 

Sam tilts her head, “actually, that might work. You could pass it off as just that. A ghost limb”. 

“Sam, that’s literally what it is. How does that help me?”. 

Sam shakes her head, and flicks Danny’s, “use your head you idiot. Just pass it off as what it actually is. Your phantom limb. The ghost of your legs”. 

Tucker nods, “yeah. Just, like, pass it off as a side affect of the ‘ecto-contamination’ or some shit. Your ghost is just closer to the surface and can show through”. 

Danny blinks and flicks around his tail, “I’m a fucking idiot”. 

Both of them chuckle, “duh”. 

Tucker pokes him, “obviously don’t just spring that shit on them. How long till you head home?”. 

Danny smirks at that, Lewis was a sneaky bastard, “Lewis is wrangling to get me home in a week. He knows about the whole lair thing and my Obsession-”.

Both of them blink, “you told him about that? _Willingly_?”. 

Danny shrugs awkwardly, “kind of had to and he did push it out a little. Not to mention there’s still a bit of the drugs in my system. Anyway. He’s oddly health and healing focused, like my level of being protective almost. It was relatable. So now he wants me home and being helpful. So I’ve got a week, probably, to pretend to be injured and lay in a damn bed. Make sure my legs don’t heal too noticeably”. 

Sam smiles, “at least you’re good at pretending. And you damn well know you have to still pretend to be injured at home”. 

Danny scoffs, “duh. But we all know how little they actually notice. Obviously don’t act too normal. But pretty well once the wrappings off I’ll act back to sorta normal. Just legless”. Danny blinks, realising a slight issue. How the Zone is he going to explain his legs _regrowing_. If it’s slow enough then maybe they won’t really notice. They don’t generally notice the blood or ectoplasm, even that time he was pretty much caked in it. He’s honestly amazed ‘ghost rain’ worked. 

Whatever, future Danny’s problem. As Lewis comes back in with food. _Real_ _food_. Burgers, fries, shakes, and, wow he actually remembered, a veggie burger. 

Sam takes hers and smiles, “I like you”. 

Danny curls his tail around his burger and phases off the wrapping without really thinking about. Practically moaning into his food, “it’s been too long!”. 

Sam just rolls her eyes. Enjoying her drink. Obviously Danny had told Lewis about them. And he actually remembered what Danny said about them. He’s damn nice and didn’t even bat an eye at Danny just using a ghostly tail instead of his hands. 

Lewis smirks, enjoying a far better coffee and mini pie, “and here I thought Tucker was the non-face eater”. 

Tucker coughs and looks honestly overly offended. Aggressively and jerkily shaking his finger at Lewis, “the only time I ever, _ever_, eat something without a face is when one particular dumbass does something spectacularly dumb”. 

Danny grunts and swallows what’s left of his burger, “hey now! I had never ran into Blood Blossoms before! How was I supposed to know?!?”. 

Sam and Tucker glance at Lewis, who only says, “did you at least get some kind of medical treatment? Because I don’t know about you, but I would if any part of me was boiling at any point”. 

Tucker jabs a thumb at himself, “hey! I’m the one who had to eat a pound of the damn things. So I’m the one who needed treatment and mouthwash”, pointing at Danny, “I broke my 14 year meat streak for you, don’t you ever forget that”.

Danny huffs, “well excuse me for being more worried about the asses that we’re trying to burn Sam at the stake, over your _diet_”, looking at Lewis, “dude, I have never gotten official medical treatment. I’m pretty sure all I did was have a longer bath that night”. 

Lewis glares over that but chuckles and nods at Tucker, “a friend of mine would like you. Real carnivore. Except they’d be mad the meat’s not raw and will literally die without meat”.

Danny chuckles, “the same one that will die without chocolate?”. 

Lewis nods and tips his cup towards him, “the same”. 

Tucker smiles, “I wish I had that excuse”. 

While Danny shakes his head at Lewis, “you know. Your two friends are weird. Impressively so. Kinda makes me laugh over the idea of someone talking about me as ‘a friend of mine’. Minus the random hinting at extreme gore”. 

Tucker snorts, “dude, you _are _the gore. Seriously. I swear you have a love affair with physical injuries. Also, the stories we could tell would be way weirder”. 

Danny points at him, “yeah but could you do it without blatantly outing me as highly abnormal”, pointing at Lewis, “he did a damn good job of that before he realised just _how _strange I am”. 

Lewis shrugs, “you ain’t telling tales and your friends are in the weeds with you. Plus it’s a miracle no one’s figured them out. One told his damn bodega lady, the other their neighbour. Just to be a scary prick to the guy for blasting music”, shrugging, “well, more showed than told, but same thing”.

Sam shakes her head, “it’s a miracle no one’s figured out Danny. People are just really blind to strange. But you’d think people in Amity would pick up on weird easier”, poking Danny, “but at least you’ve only accidentally shown one person. Technically anyway”. 

Danny smirks, “I love technicalities”. 

Tucker sticks up a finger, looking down at his PDA, “quick question”, pointing at Danny and then Lewis, “why’s there practically nothing in Danny’s medical file? What is there is painfully vague”.

Lewis squints at him, “how do you know that?”. 

Sam and Danny in unison, “he hacked the hospital”. 

Lewis eyes the PDA, watching Tucker flip through folders at an almost alarming rate. Well, this was certainly a new one. Shrugging, “honestly, I’m not sure if praise or disapproval is more apporitate”. 

Sam raises an eyebrow, “it’s technically illegal and this is your hospital?”. 

Danny waves her off, “he flat-out told me he was going to fabricate things to cover my weirdness. Like I said, good guy”. 

Lewis shrugs, this was still more normal and less hectic, “its not my first rodeo. This one’s way less bloody. No weird companies with hired goons. No illegal human experimentation. No one’s crashing date night making me have to carry them out of a lobster tank. And again, you haven’t tried to kill me yet. Unusual physiology and extreme injury is pretty easy going”, smirking, “plus I got to play around with your innards. Never got to do that with the other. Made you a bunch of fancy metal sculptures, and the symmetry. Course, you wrecked it all”. 

Danny shrugs exaggeratedly, “I didn’t know doc. And don’t jinx me”. 

Sam raises an eyebrow at Lewis, “why is _that _what you care about?”. 

“I care about my work. So long as I do what I do, weird’s whatever. Just look at the positives”. 

Tucker looks up from his PDA at Danny, “dude, he’s you. You sure he’s not a clone or something?”. 

“He’s been around longer than me, so if anyone’s the clone, it’s me”. Danny tilts his head and sniffs a few times, before quickly curling his tail up under him, quickly muttering, “Forwarding”. Which results in Sam shoving all the wrappers into her bag and both her and Tucker looking slightly sadder and standing closer to Danny. 

Lewis standing up and composing himself into the form of professionalism as the door opens. Smiling at Jack and Maddie, so Danny has code words. ‘Forwarding’, FW, as in FentonWorks. Smart. He can think of a certain someone who should utilise code words. Maddie and Jack nod at him, Jack asking, “we’re not interrupting anything?”. 

Lewis shakes his head with a soft smile, “hardly, I’m just playing favourites”. Earning a smile from both before they rush over to Danny. Sam and Tucker stepping back to give them some room. Tucker typing on his PDA and leaning so Lewis can see it. He’s probably more pleased than he should be at it reading, ‘if you betray his trust, we’ll end you’. Ah, the joys of having good friends. Lewis certainly has friends that would kill for him too, they’d just be a little _too _eager about it. Nodding slightly at the staring teen. 

Maddie brushes Danny’s hair lightly, “how are you sweetie?”. 

Danny, knowing saying good would just make them think he’s lying, “I’m okay. But I think I’ll have a slight developed hatred for apple juice by the end of this”. 

Everyone laughs slightly as Jazz walks in, sending Lewis a small nod after looking Danny over and seeing the medicine bag doesn’t seem to actually be doing anything. Before heading over to Danny and patting his good shoulder. Leaning next to his ear, “everyone’s fine. The house is fine and there wasn’t ghost issues that were _actual_ issues”.

Danny relaxes a little at that, he knew Jazz would be honest about that. Sam and Tuck, not so much; and his folks didn’t actually know what qualified as actual issues. 

Maddie smiles, “well hopefully it’ll be over sooner than you think”, looking to Lewks, “the nurse we talked to said he could probably go home in a month. She sounded a bit surprised by that herself”. 

Jack laughs slightly, “said Danny-boy is tough and a good healer! A Fenton through and through!”.

Sam and Tucker share a look, smirking. Knowing it was all Phantom not the Fenton part. While Lewis nods, clearing his throat and stepping forward slightly, “about that actually-”, everyone looks at him a little freaked, so Lewis makes a point to smile softly. Wrong word choice obviously. “-Danny here could actually go home sooner, if there’s a doctor with him. So I was looking to ask if I could stay over for a while”, making sure to frame this like they were doing him a favour, “I could use sometime away from the hospital and it’s been a while. Not just since we’ve last gotten together but since I’ve really hanged out with any of my other friends”, talking more seriously now, because that’s appropriate, “though I’ll still very much be working. Normally at home care takes more effort, seeing as I’d have to bring all the medical supplies and be the only one with medical knowledge”, smirking slightly, “but knowing you two, you might have more medical supplies than the hospital. Besides, you said it yourselves, Danny’s readings are a little off. So really, makes it a little harder for him to be treated here”. 

Danny doesn’t exactly like it when anyone brings up his oddness around his parents, even subtly, especially when he was actively trying to hide something strange...like a ghostly tail. He was still a little too ectoplasmicly exhausted to consistently keep it invisible and intangible. So he kept it curled under the rest of him, trying to make it wiggle and pulse and swish as little as possible. While also paying attention to conversations. 

His folks look at him, Maddie asking, “would you like that? I know you don’t like us fretting over you, which we very much will be”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, he didn’t like anyone fretting over him, “I’d like to go home sooner yeah. Besides, Lewis is pretty cool”. 

Jazz giggles, “told you so little brother”, though she eyeballs Lewis a little. He had to be more than just a little strange for Danny to make friendly with him. And actually _wanting _to live in the Fenton household was incredibly strange. 

Jack beams and gives Lewis a strong nod, “then it’s decided! We’ve got a spare room so it works. How long though?”, snapping his fingers and smiling, “maybe you could help us with our work too! Give the more medical side of it!?!”. 

Maddie looks at her husband and nods with a smile before giving Lewis a questioning look, “you’re married now right? She’ll be okay with this?”. 

Lewis smiles, she’d be okay with pretty well anything, he was lucky to have her. “She’s a pretty busy person herself. She’s had to go away for clients a few times, so she won’t mind me doing so for a patient”, making a show of titling his head and thinking, “as for a timeline. Give or take a week. Closer to five days. And Jack, I’m always up for hearing your interesting theories and seeing the things you two create”. 

Danny just blinks, again Lewis was just a really good guy. No one wanted to encourage his parents to blabber or show off things. Partly because that was actually dangerous. Watching as Lewis walks over to be closer with his parents before both basically descend into talking ghost at him. Which he seems to actually be enjoying and putting in his two cents back. 

Danny takes this change to readjust some and let his tail move more erratically while they’re not looking. Jazz pokes him, “you are alright, right? You seem uncomfortable?”. 

Danny, Sam and Tucker all make ‘shushing’ motions at her, while Danny flicks his eyes to his parents before subtly sneaking the tip of his tail out and wrapping it around Jazz’s wrist. Prompting her to glance down, making a point to not visually react and glancing to where Danny’s legs used to be and mouthing, ‘tail? How? Healed?’. 

Danny glances at his parents again, tracing words on her skin, ‘yes’, ‘unsure’, ‘no’. She nods curtly at him and gives the tail a little pat. They could figure out the ‘why’ some other time. 

Lewis looks at the time, he’d have to get to bone cracking soon. Smiling at his two friends, “well, I’ve got duties to perform. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you sooner rather than later”. Both of them nod at him so he points at Danny as he heads out, “here or at home, I’m still your doctor. I encourage you to ask or tell me things”. All he hears from Danny is a chuckle. 

Sam and Tucker waste no time in following Lewis out. Jack and Maddie assuming they want to ask questions without possibly upsetting Danny. While Danny just sighs, sometimes his friends were worse than he was. 

Lewis walks with his hands in his pockets, not all too surprised when he’s suddenly flanked by the two teens. Danny might be the one with a protective need but that apparently has made everyone close to him protective in return. Deciding to just start speaking, “Jasmine already did this whole follow me till out of others ear shot so...”, Lewis trails off as he turns down one of the more empty hallways, “so if, say, you have some unusual medical information about Danny, that he hasn’t or won’t tell me on his own, I’m all ears”. 

Sam and Tucker eyeball him before smiling slightly. Tucker speaking, “he’s pretty good at giving information when he really has too. He just underplays things. And you’re not a new doctor or new to this hospital, so you don’t seem suspicious”. 

Sam nods, “doesn’t seem to be anyone here with questionable connections”. Sam and Tucker share a look and nod. Sam speaking up again as she looks around, “we know taking samples is part of treating a patient. Do you actually want the results?”.

Lewis squints at them, of course he did. Those were frequently necessary or even vital to treating a patient. Even if he was warned they might be completely nonviable. “We don’t take samples for no reason”. 

Tucker nods, taps away on his PDA and holds it out to Lewis. Grabbing it and seeing the lab results on the screen. Again, should he be impressed or bothered? Tucker was really good with hacking. Which is arguably useful when being friends with someone who has secrets to keep. Like being friends with a doctor and a lawyer. And it’s not like he can really judge. Tucker mutters as Lewis looks over the, definitely strange, results, “you’re probably going to get a report about the results and samples going mysteriously missing. Along with equipment and video footage”.

Lewis blinks, they actually broke in and stole? Again he’s done far more questionable stuff, still though, “you know those machines are quite expensive”. 

Tucker shrugs, “well they’re destroyed now. Fire, acid, explosives, water submersion. The works”. 

Sam smirks, “you’re already doing something you shouldn’t so you tell, we tell. You’re ‘in the weeds’ as you put it too”. 

Lewis sighs, “quite true. Does this have to do with him implying the governments after him to some degree?”. 

Sam blinks at him, “wow, you actually got Danny's trust above the basic level. You don’t sound too fazed though”. 

Lewis shrugs, “like I said, not my first rodeo. Had one patient who got shot and abducted in an elevator by hired mercenaries working for a government sponsored scientific organisation. They were doing some very illegal experimentation”. 

Tucker snorts, taking back his PDA, “you’ve seen some shit dude”. 

Sam just shakes her head, “well you don’t have to worry about anyone sneakily abducting him. The ones you have to worry about are much more brute force. They shot a missile from a jet at another teenager and blew up an observatory just because they suspected he was even slightly like Danny”. 

Lewis pauses his walking at that. So basically Danny being here actually put the whole building at risk? Considering the protectiveness, that would probably bother Danny deeply. Since he wasn’t freaking out or doing everything he could to leave, he probably hadn’t realised that. “Would there be any warning if they try to, and I quote, ‘shoot a missile’?”. 

Both teens shake their heads, but Tucker smiles, “they won’t give warning. But I’ve been tracking them ever since they chased Danny halfway across the country before Danny was able to get them off his trail. There was spaceships and a Comic-Con involved”. 

Lewis tilts his head and laughs, this was almost concerningly familiar, “huh, a friend of mine got chased all over his city in a car chase involving bombs and missiles. There was a spaceship involved too”. 

Sam and Tucker look at each other before looking back to him, “you’re friend is Danny at this point”. 

Lewis shakes his head almost aggressively, “oh definitely not. They’ve got a lot of circumstances in common for sure. But Danny’s far more moral and doesn’t come off to people like he’s slightly insane. He’s also definitely not a famous reporter with a habit of pissing off powerful people”, chuckling, “Danny also seems to be less of a mess”. 

Sam mutters, “that’s actually impressive”, shaking her head and looking around, “your friend or friends aside. If you see people in perfectly clean white suits and claiming to be government agents, there’ll probably be either two or three of them, then get Danny out of here”. 

Lewis nods as Tucker speaks, “hopefully I pulled everything before they got wind of it but it’s hard to tell with them. Usually they’re stupid idiots easy to trick but sometimes they surprise us”. 

Lewis squints slightly at the two teens, realising they were oddly mature. Considering what little he’s heard and Danny’s scars, something tells him Danny and his friends live reckless and maybe they do frequently piss off powerful people. Obviously they weren’t fighting against the evils of the world with a camera and the written word, but maybe they were in a far more vigilante/superhero kind of way. Well, at least they clearly weren’t killing people. Lewis is pretty sure Danny physically and mentally can’t actually. So positives. Deciding to test his theory, “that sounds like the government in general. Ever, say, saved the world from some catastrophe or another?”. 

Both teens pause for only a second, glancing at each other, that really said everything to Lewis and technically, they were putting more on the line if they said yes. Seeing as Lewis actually knew Danny’s name and where he lived, they knew very little about Lewis’s friends, “I’ve got two friends who have. Did it pretty recklessly and dumb too”, chuckling, “they have the same luck as Danny for surviving shit they shouldn’t”. 

Tucker looks at his PDA, “whelp, it’s my third feeding time”, and promptly walks off. 

Lewis and Sam watching him go. Sam sighing, “like that’s not suspicious Tucker”, before shaking her head and eyeing Lewis, “I don’t doubt you’ve already made up your mind on what the answer is. But I’m not giving you one”, glaring at the doctor, “but know this, if you get Danny hurt or anything. I have more than enough money to buy out this entire hospital and everyone you’ve ever worked for. And every Manson has a very particular skill for starting riots and fear mongering”. 

Lewis nods slightly, ever so slightly startled, “noted”, before she glares at him again and walks off after Tucker. This was all seeming weirdly similar. One guy who was a mess of a person but average otherwise, winds up with some strange abilities and unique physiology; who’s definitely fighting crime, or something, rather illegally. With two friends with strange but useful skill sets helping them out. Difference was, they were a bunch of teens. But hey, clearly they could handle whatever they’re doing. Positives. As he heads to the surgery wing. 

* * *

Eventually Danny’s just glad it’s nightfall, meaning he gets to be left alone. He could be a rather social person when people were not being dicks to him. But he still cherished his alone time. Even if it was more boring right now and he couldn’t go flying. Zone did he ever just want to really stretch out and he’d never been grounded for so long. Well, not since becoming able to fly anyway. Sliding his tail out from under him and letting it wiggle around freely and erratically. Trying to keep it somewhat still and hidden was more exhausting and difficult than he had thought. He’d never tried stilling it before and being still was, apparently, not something ghostly tails do. 

Shuffling to try and get more comfortable just as his ghost sense goes off. Watching the icy mist, thick with annoyance, until he blinks and spots ClockWork; letting a small smile work across his face. “What? Now you’re going to give me a pity party too?”.

“I wouldn’t dream of it”, ClockWork comes to sit on the side of the bed, “everyone’s aware of you being unable to be in your lair. So they’re keeping their distance”, winking at Danny, “no one actually wants to out you after all”. 

Danny snorts, “so you scared off a few ghosts bad enough that everyone’s staying away till the ‘strange Phantom’s ally ghost’ leaves”. Danny knows damn well the ‘thank you’ was easily heard. Knowing his town wasn’t going to be harassed was extremely helpful. “I’m assuming there’s another reason you’re here?”. 

“You won’t be sleeping yet so”, ClockWork summons a floating chessboard; making Danny laugh as they set up. Fully intending to play though the night, Danny using his tail all the while. Danny’s self aware enough to know he’ll probably have a nightmare if he sleeps tonight. A _Dan _nightmare. Did he seriously have to have that name? 

Meanwhile, Lewis stretches out in his chair. Spinning around his phone and debating calling his friends. It would do them some good to possibly make a friend, one they have stuff in common with. But he hadn’t exactly informed Danny of their particular diet. He might not exactly like that. Plus he hadn’t asked any of them if they were okay with him telling someone else. Sure one of his friends would probably just trust his judgement, but the other will probably threaten to eat him...again. Danny on the other hand was far more paranoid, actually effectively hid and prioritised hiding. Even over his own safety and limbs. 

Smiling as his wife comes in, “hey honey”. 

She tilts her head at him, “what’s on your mind?”. 

Lewis shakes his head with a slight smile, “just a patient. One giving me quite the case of deja-vu. Hasn’t tried to kill me yet but they’re a reckless seriously injured case with some pretty unusual stuff in them”, shrugging with a slight smirk, “or at least they were seriously injured when they came in. Mysteriously healed overnight”. 

The two stare at each other for a while, eventually she sighs, walks over and gives him a kiss. Sighing again, “another one? I thought they all died?”. 

Lewis shakes his head, “surprisingly no. Not another one. Very different. They’ve just got a lot of similarities. Except their personality is more like me, just more socially normal and paranoid. They actually made me prove I wasn’t some kind of murderer or something”, looking around slightly before looking back to his phone, “I may have been subtly telling tales to make them feel more comfortable and open up. And I was thinking those two could use more friends”. 

She runs her hands through his hair and smiles slightly, before clapping him on the shoulder, “well you better go make an apology chocolate cake for when you tell them about that”, shaking her head as she gets ready for bed, “so is he really that much like you and them? And don’t even bother with the neutral pronouns, no way this patient isn’t a guy”. 

“Astute as ever. Outside of the fact that I’m pretty sure he has a more strict and important Hippocratic oath than every doctor I’ve ever met. Yeah. That, and he’s a minor”. 

She pauses and looks at him, “_Dan_. That doesn’t sound like someone who would exactly appreciate hanging out with a technical cannibal”. 

Lewis sighs, “he didn’t react at all really when I sorta dropped them attempting to eat me-”.

“Okay, now you owe them two cakes”. 

Lewis picks up where he left off, “-and I’m positive he’s a vigilante of some kind. One of his friends literally hacked the hospital for files and two of his friends broke into the research lab, destroyed anything with his samples. He’s clearly fine with illegal”. 

“That’s not the same as murder. Justified as it is, it’s still murder. Did you ask the kid if he was okay with you potentially setting up a play date with your, lovable but arguably weird, murder friends?”. 

Lewis shakes his head and sighs, getting up as she glares at him. The message of ‘then go do that’ very obvious. 

Lewis firmly enjoys being head surgeon. It lets him do pretty well as he pleases. No one able to, or really wanting to, question him. Sure he was still accountable to the higher ups but they didn’t bother him about much. Making a point to yawn and shake himself to look more awake before getting to Danny’s door and entering. 

Hearing Danny’s voice, “-which just made me think, ‘what would raw meat even taste like?’ and ‘he’s going to give Tuck ideas’ and-”. Danny pauses and turns his head to the door. While Lewis looks around, seeing no one, “talking to yourself?”. 

“Uhhhh”. 

Lewis shrugs and closes the door, “my friend seemingly talks to himself constantly. A little bit of the town weirdo you could say”. 

“Do you ever sleep? And, uh, there _was _a visitor”. 

Lewis gives him a dubious eyebrow, but Danny nods his head at a rather strange glowing chessboard. Walking around Lewis can see it’s actually floating, “huh”, looking over the plays on the board and chuckling at Danny, “you were loosing. They didn’t need to mind me though. Even if I’m not sure how they got out”. 

Danny chuckles awkwardly, “always am, but it’s more for the fun of it. And, um, they’re not really a people person”, shrugging and deciding that ClockWork obviously knew Lewis would walk in so clearly they must be cool with Danny trusting, or even think Danny needs to trust, Lewis, “they’re also not a living person”. 

“You’re friends with a ghost?”.

Danny chuckles again, “yeah, um, don’t be telling my parents that though”. 

Lewis smirks, Jack and Maddie would definitely _not_ be okay with that. From what he’s heard from them over the years, ghosts were dangerous and they seemed to think they weren’t truly sentient. Just green goo, ectoplasm, able to act sentient. But considering Lewis was friends with what was basically a pile of, definitely sentient and definitely dangerous, goo. Plus Danny has made it pretty well clear that there was a level of sentience to ectoplasm. Nodding at Danny as he sits down, “of course, they believe a lot of things about ghosts that is wrong, don’t they? And I’m guessing that, due to your ectoplasm, you have a level of commonality with ghosts and have not only learned about them more genuinely but also made more than just one ghost friend? Though you have said ghosts were dangerous yourself”. 

Danny worries his lip slightly. Lewis was smart and _noticed things_. But at the same time ClockWork wanted to be noticed. And maybe...maybe if Lewis agreed with him on ghosts being sentient beings capable of emotions and feelings. Maybe, just maybe, his folks would listen to their adult doctor friend over him. Sighing and nodding, “they're kind of bigoted. Great at the science and inventions, not so much with psychology or relations”, shifting some, “and yeah ghosts are dangerous. Most that show up in Amity are violent and destructive. In their nature to scare and stir up fear. Some just do it, um, nicer?”.

Lewis nods, “well you have definitely been startling yourself a few times. Though I think you’ve only got me once or twice. I’m rather used to startling things after all. But I’m guessing this ghost was a ‘nicer’ one?”. 

Danny blushes slightly, “heh, they’re kind of a father figure in my life. Teacher, mentor, guide. That stuff. I wouldn’t exactly call them ‘nice’ though. Attempted to kill me when we first met”, shrugging and looking around some, “saved my life and the world later though so it’s okay. They’ve also, _technically_, killed people and ghosts. Butlikealwaysforagoodreason”, the last bit coming out a bit rushed and making him twitch slightly. It did bother his Obsession a bit knowing ClockWork had a kill count. But considering how they met, he subconsciously knew as much. And it wasn’t even like they had killed only bad people or people trying to destroy the world. Clearing his throat, “they do what’s right...what’s best, not what’s nice or arguably good”. 

Lewis blinks at that and forces down a smile, that would definitely not be appropriate. It was good he came, because this basically solved part of his mental debate. Danny already was close with someone dangerous and, apparently, murderous. The fact that this ghost tried to kill Danny really reminds him of his friends yet again. Clapping his legs, which Danny looks at him a little confused for, as Lewis speaks up, “well that decides it for me really then”, clearing his throat, “you’ve got a lot of things in your life similar to those two friends of mine”. 

Danny blinks and snorts before laughing, “are you?! Are you saying you want to set up a play date?!”, chuckling, “I mean, they do seem right up my alley for strange”. 

“Oh you have no idea”. 

Danny smirks, “you have half of it”, shuffling and looking more serious, “you’re pretty well asking to tell them about me though aren’t you? My _weird_”. 

Lewis wiggles his hand in the air, “more like vague tale telling. Pretty much what I’ve been giving you about them. If they’re interested they’ll probably be cool with me just telling you everything”. 

“Well I’m not giving you permission to tell them everything you know about me. No offence. Vague fine but it better be damn vague”, sighing, “but why was knowing about my friend the nail in the coffin for asking me?”. 

Lewis frowns and looks around slightly, watching the door, sighing, “they have a bit of a habit of leaving a trial of missing persons. Always with a good reason. It’s like you said. They do what’s right, not what’s good”. 

Danny blinks, realising that when Lewis had made comments about a friend making piles of heads or picking fights, he meant human heads and _murder_. Breathing out, “Ancients”, Danny then squints his eyes also realising that him being told this, getting Lewis to open up about his own murder buddy, was exactly why ClockWork stuck around, grumbling, “oh you little shit”. Maybe Lewis would have told him anyway, maybe that’s why he was here. But this was basically ClockWork giving their seal of approval and bluntly telling Danny that these friends really did kill for what’s right or good or whatever. Still fucked up and not okay. But, Danny slips out his tail and points it at Lewis, “what do _you _and _they _qualify as a quote-unquote ‘good reason’?”. 

Lewis nods slightly, for a small teenager wrapped nearly head to toe in bandages and casts, he could be threatening and commanding if he wanted. The green eyes and slight echoing reverb to his voice helped in that regard, “serious self-protection, protecting others, world saving and so on. They don’t really have much of a choice. They _have_ to”. 

Danny stares for a bit, ‘for protection’. He could understand that and he knows that Lewis knows that. Squinting, “‘have to’? As in similar to how I explained Obsessions? But for _killing_?”. 

Lewis nods, “something like that. They just, I guess ‘satisfy’ would be the best word to use, it in a more ‘good’ way. Try to help people”. 

Danny moves his eyes around some. These friends were like goodish versions of Dan. Not that Danny’s going to claim to know what the Zone _Dan’s_ Obsession was...is? And saying that monster needed to kill wouldn’t even be surprising. But these friends weren’t evil, weren’t monsters. Being helpful. Like they had a twisted version of Danny’s Obsession. One that had a damn murder requirement. Shaking his head, no it was more like they just choose to be not evil in spite of an inherently evil and bad _need_. So technically, they had more right to..._kill_...than ClockWork did. ClockWork could just shove ghosts in thermoses and people in cells. Danny’s told they as much. But it’s not what’s best, so it’s not what they do. But then again, doing what’s best, what’s right, is why they saved him at all. Glaring at Lewis some, “you know I don’t like anyone dying. But I get it. And they sound...alright”. 

Lewis smiles but immediately stops as Danny just glares at him. So maybe Lewis was a bit too used to being friendly with what was basically a mass murderer. Nodding, “they are. They really do try to be as good as possible. At the expense of their health and socialising more often than not”. 

Danny nods, that did make it better. ‘Only if absolutely necessary’ was an okay enough reason. Well, not really. Especially not for himself. And possible friends wasn’t the same as murder accomplice, “alright fine. But, and this is a pretty big but, they better not ever kill or attempt to kill one of _my_ humans”. 

Now Lewis is missing something again, “your humans?”, feeling kind of reminded of how his friends would talk if anyone so much as seemed threatening around the two. 

Danny blinks and looks around a bit awkwardly, him and his tongue, “it’s another ghost instinct thing. I’m more protective and a bit possessive over people that I’m closer with or live in Amity. And there’s sort of levels to it. There’s ‘my humans’ and ‘_my_ humans’ with emphasis. I’m not really to be held liable for beating your friends up if they harm the later. They can technically harm the first group, like punch someone who’s being an asshole, just not kill”. 

“So all of Amity is in the first group, and what about the second? Friends and family?”. 

Danny nods, “Sam, Tuck, Jazz, mom, dad; sorta Val too. Technically there’s ‘_my _ghosts’ as well, but, uh, that’s not really going to be a problem. They can defend themselves, and I’m not going to insult them by saying otherwise”. 

Lewis chuckles, five of those people seemed fully capable themselves but if there was one thing Lewis knew well, it was how _breakable_ human bodies were. Ghosts were probably more durable than even Danny seemed to be. “Well I’d rather you not get into a fight with my friends, I’d rather not see the end result of that. Though I don’t think you have to worry about them hurting someone”, tapping his chin, “though mind you, one has a tendency to make threats over pretty much everything. I’ve heard them threaten to eat the others organs because he changed the channel”. 

Danny snorts, “sounds like a ghost. So long as they’re empty or mostly empty threats”, smirking slightly, obviously these friends weren’t exactly human or barely human, “I might not really know your friends but I don’t really lose fights”, shrugging and looking around a little awkwardly, “if I’m in one anyway”. 

Lewis decides not to deny that statement, again pretty sure Danny was a vigilante of some kind. Or maybe just a bit more strange of a ghost hunter. Smiling, “so, you’re okay with me vaguely describing your strange to the people who I’ve been vaguely describing their strange to you?”. 

Danny sighs and nods, “yeah. But nothing specific or will give away who I am”. 

“Course”, before getting up and heading to the door, “do try to get some sleep tonight”. Danny just grunts. 

Lewis flips out his phone as he gets in his car, he’s got a call to make. While Danny stares at the ceiling and seriously hopes he didn’t just do something insanely stupid. 


	3. Oh, You’ve Got Secrets, Alright! Just Not Super Ones!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny can’t have a single day without dramatics, Lewis probably shouldn’t be talking about cannibals with any level of fondness, and Valerie’s going to have a heart attack if Danny keeps this crap up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ectober 2019 Day 8: Identity

Danny gets woken by someone clearly fiddling with the window and a faint beeping. Blinking his eyes and turning his head, raising his eyebrows at Val’s back as she seems to be reattaching the window to its hinges and turning off her ghost radar. Moving his tail under himself, “I thought only ghosts rejected using doors”. Making her jump and bang her head slightly, which Danny snickers over. 

Valerie flips him off over her shoulder and finishes with the window, speaking as she turns around, “the hospital wouldn’t let me up and the window doesn’t open wide enou-Zone Danny!”. 

Walking over to him with wide eyes as he chuckles, “they’re not supposed to be peopled-sized. You know, for safety”. 

She grabs a chair and sits down right next to him, running a hand over his right arm cast. Muttering, “fuck it”, and pulling out a sharpie and signing it. 

Danny sighing, “I’m probably going home in a few days, most of this is just being over cautious”. 

Valerie glares at him, “somehow I doubt that”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “my parents have a doctor friend. As in the head surgeon kind of doctor friend. Great guy, I’ve seen more of him than my own hair. So to say I’m being given special treatment might be a major understatement”. 

Valerie sighs and nods with a smile, “okay that makes more sense then. A head surgeon can probably do what ever he wants. Including unnecessary stuff just in case”. 

“Exactly”, sighing and deciding he should probably get the elephant in the room over with, “but, um, look down Val”. 

She looks at the floor making Danny laugh and shake his head, “I mean down _me_”. Watching as she looks to his ‘legs’ and sucks in a breath. Then poking at the sheets, pushing down till her finger contacts the bed itself. Dragging her finger towards him, so he makes his tail invisible and intangible to keep her from bumping into it. She stops her finger a bit away from where his torso ends. Before breathing out again and leaning back. 

They sit in silence, her staring where his legs should be, until the faint beeping starts again. Her grumbling, “oh shut up”, turning off her radar again. Which is actually concerning to Danny. He can tell there’s no ghosts here and her suit can’t normal detect him. Could it be because of the tail? That, and she doesn’t just _ignore _a possible ghost. Danny sighs softly, “you okay?”. 

“I just, I, I’m”, she looks at him then, tears in her eyes which just hurts for Danny to see, before she shakes her head and blinks them away. Swallowing harshly, “why are _you _asking _me _that?”. 

Danny gives her a soft smile, “because I’m fine and you don’t seem to be. This is, well, it’s a lot. But I’ll be fine”, chuckling faintly and looking down to his ‘legs’, “my folks are already going off about exoskeletons and Mecha’s and robo legs. And you’ve seen the stuff they make. I’ll be fine”, looking back at her, who’s teary eyed again, “and I’ve never seen you ignore that beeping thing”. 

Valerie blinks and gapes at him a bit, shaking her head, “I, you _noticed_ that”, shaking her hair again, “it’s just not...important enough right now”. 

“Don’t let me stop you. I don’t want people stopping their lives and fun over me”. 

Valerie stares at him some more before looking pissed off, “you’re an idiot Danny”, standing up and running her hands through her hair, messing it up pretty badly, “I can’t believe you!”, turning around definitely pissed and gesturing at his ‘legs’, “you are missing limbs! You lost your legs! You only have half a body! And you want me to just shrug that off! And! AND GO CHASE SOME STUPID DAMN GHOST?!? WHAT THE FUCK DANNY! DO YOU JUST NOT _CARE_!”. 

Danny stares, caught off guard and a bit startled, as she walks away from him and bangs her head against the window; clasping her hands over the back of her head. Danny looks at himself, he could understand how it’s upsetting. His friends and sister would probably be more upset if they didn’t know about his healing and weren’t so sure they’d grow back. Lewis was a doctor, the surgeon who removed them specifically, of course he wasn’t bothered. His parents were adults and probably felt like they ‘had to be strong’ for him, and they were strange people. Valerie was just a teen like him, one who dedicated her time to fighting ghosts and protecting people. Who...absolutely never wanted anyone else to get hurt. Deciding to give her the same thing Lewis gave him, “it was a drunk driver, not a ghost. In case you didn’t know. And I’m...I’m hardly the worst off”. Danny cringes and makes a point to shake off that train of thought. Easily being distracted by Val breathing out loudly. 

She walks back over and sits down again, sighing and staring at where Danny’s ‘legs’ should be for a bit. Looking to his face and playing with her hands, while he gives her a soft smile. Shaking her head, “no I didn’t know that”, shrugging, “I guess that makes it a bit more okay”. 

Danny snorts, giving her a smirk and lowering his voice, “no way a ghost could ever seriously hurt a Fenton!”. 

Valerie glares at him, “I’m really tempted to hit you. I still can’t believe you”, she blinks realising exactly _what _she had yelled at him, screwing up her face before she starts laughing with tears in her eyes, “oh Zone I just told you I chase ghosts!”. 

Danny watches her curl up a little bit, unsure if she’s laughing or sobbing, “are...is everything okay?”. 

Valerie shakes her head and breaths a little, “no Danny. Nothing’s okay”. Then resting her arms and cheek on the railing of the bed; occasionally wiping at her eyes and watching his face. 

They just stare at each other for a while, Danny eventually sighing wistfully, “I’ve missed this you know”. 

Valerie nods slightly, knowing damn well he wasn’t talking about the state of his body or the hospital. Jerking from her radar going off again, it being far louder in her head. 

Danny shakes his head as she turns it off again, “can’t you just completely turn whatever off?”. She shakes her head and she rests against the rails again. 

Muttering as she stares off into space, “nothing to do with those damn spooks can ever be so simple”. 

“Tell me about it”, Danny wiggles around some, which Valerie actually cringes over. Danny, deciding she had basically outed herself, asks, “I’ll take it that sound’s a ghost sensor or something?”. 

She nods, still staring off, “I’d rather not give my backstory or why right now. It’s not importantly currently”. 

Danny blinks, she had pretty well said he, or at least his current state, was more important than being Red. “That’s fine. But, um, what’s it even sensing?”.

Valerie shrugs, “don’t care”. 

“Well I do”. 

Valerie looks at him then, sighing as he looks rather serious. It made some sense, his parents were hunters and he couldn’t exactly...run..._Zone he couldn’t run at all_. _Ever_. Shaking her head to clear the new tears and pulling out her sensor as subtly as she could. Scrunching up her eyebrows at it, whispering, “you. It’s you”, then looking at Danny with confusion. 

Danny groans, of course it was him, great, “I was afraid of that”, shifting some and pulling his tail out from under himself, Valerie’s watching his face so she doesn’t notice the movement. Danny, knowing her scanner was far more specific than his parents, “is it flat-out calling me a ghost?”. 

Valerie looks back to her scanner and shakes her head. It was labelling him as one of the little wisps. Which were practically ectoplasmic fauna or just part of the Zone’s atmosphere rather than true ghosts. Clearing her throat, “no. Wisp”, she’s just going to assume he knows what that is; with his parents he really should. 

Danny nods with a smile, “good, that makes sense”. 

Valerie snaps shut and turns off her radar. Snapping without any real bite, “how the fuck does it”, shaking her head, “whatever, doesn’t matter. Ghost everything can get fucked and leave me alone right now”. 

“Um, ow?”.

Valerie looks at him and he cracks a wide smile; eventually making both of them start laughing. Valerie patting his arm, “thanks. I needed that”, sighing and giving him a soft smile, “your ghost, or whatever is going on, is fine”. 

Danny snorts, “glad to hear it. My folks haven’t noticed it yet. But, um, think you could give me your two cents on it? Before they do? Since you do what they do, obviously, but are less crazy”, Danny leaves out the fact that, unlike his friends, she wouldn’t just tell him what he wants to hear. And Lewis is...well, okay, Lewis is too weird. He wants a somewhat normal persons input. 

Valerie sighs and fiddles with her hands, “I can’t believe I just dumped that on you”, nodding at him, “but shoot”. 

Danny swallows and shifts some, “you heard of phantom limbs?”, at her nod he continues, “well my body seemed to take that a little literal”, then poking his ghostly tail out near her and wiggling it at her. 

Valerie blinks a couple times before cupping her hands, Danny letting his tail rest in her hands as she speaks, “is that? Is this?”. At Danny’s nod she moves one hand and lifts up the sheets. Watching the ghostly tail wiggle and vibrate, bits of ectoplasm misting and evaporating off occasionally. Looking back to the portion in her hand and rubbing her thumb over it. Which Danny shivers from. 

At her raised eyebrow, Danny shrugs awkwardly, “it’s a new sensation okay. And I’m pretty sure that was, like, the equivalent of petting my feet”. 

Valerie screws up her face before snorting and laughing. Danny slipping his tail out of her hand and huffing, rolling his eyes, “and here I gave you the gift of being the first hunter, or whatever, to hold a humanish ghostly tail”. 

Valerie calms down and sighs, “how is this even possible?”, shaking her head, “I’m glad you still have something though. It’s not...painful or uncomfortable, is it?”. 

Danny shrugs, poking the tip out again, just leaving it to wave slowly, “no. Like weirdly bendy liquid and light legs, stuffed in one of those fake mermaid tails. Sorta staticy too, I can tell it’s made of energy. Though I can’t make it stop moving really, which yes, is a bit annoying. Especially since I’m hiding it”. 

Valerie blinks and nods, his weird behaviour made more sense now. Having this...tail, probably made him not feel like half a body. It was ‘like legs’, so it was almost like his legs had just...changed. But still...how was he supposed to walk around with this? He can’t. And the hiding, he certainly couldn't just go around with this on display. Running her hand over the tail a bit more awkwardly than in shock and awe, and higher up which doesn’t make Danny shiver. “How are you even hiding this from the staff? Your families doctor friend?”, shaking her head, “if I were you, I’d be sort of scared of this”. 

Danny snorts, moving his tail away from her and curling the tail tip in front of his face, “it startled me yeah. But it’s not like I can’t control or feel it. So it’s just my body. Plus-”, Danny fixes up his hair with the tail some, “-its basically my only free appendage. I am decidedly not a fan of someone damn spoon feeding me”. 

Valerie giggles lightly at that. Danny, rolling his eyes, “oh shut up, it’s degrading”, shuffling and wiggling the tail back under the sheets. Letting it move around as it pleases, “and doc knows. He noticed before I did. Let’s just say, there’s a reason he’s friends with my folks. Stick around and you’ll probably meet him”. Danny’s almost worried since it’s nearly noon and literally no one else has shown up to check on him. Sure it’s nice, but also not normal.

Valerie nods, watching the tail basically squirm under the sheets. It’s definitely freaky and she wouldn’t like it coming off her. But if Danny’s okay with it then she’ll just roll with it. Shaking her head, “Zone that’s weird”, then looking to Danny’s face and resting against the railing again, “but it’s your body. How are you going to get around though? This, Zone Danny, you still don’t have _legs_. I’ll gladly push you around school, but I don’t think you’d actually like that”. 

Danny shakes his head, “I’m not going back to school till I have some form of legs. And honestly, I’d rather not have people know about the legless thing”. 

“So you want to pass off fake or ghost ones as your...er, originals?”. She stares at him as he nods somewhat erratically. She can’t blame him for just wanting to be treated normal. Well, treated normally. People would treat him different if they knew. Which makes her wince and sigh sadly. Nodding at him, “if that’s what you want to do, I’ll go along with it”, smiling at him, “I wouldn’t want a pity party either”.

“And I don’t want one from you”. 

Valerie looks down at the bed and nods slightly before looking back up to his eyes, “it’s more that you scared me. Reminded me how much I damn care about you. I...ended things, because I didn’t want you to get hurt because of what I do. And here you are, hurt anyway. I could have done something, maybe if I had been with you, I could have done something”. 

Danny sighs somewhat fondly though worrying about Amity again. Cringing slightly over the thought of her being with him and thusly getting injured. “I’m glad you weren’t. I’ll take my injures being worse over someone else getting hurt. You know damn well I’d be beating myself up if you were with me and got hurt”. 

Valerie smiles slightly, it’s a little forced, “we have some issues”. Danny just hums in agreement, while she traces her fingers over the cast. Clearing her throat, “so...”. 

Danny smiles slightly, staring at each other, “you were an idiot back then”, smirking at her embarrassed eye roll, “I mean really, my parents are hunters Val. Reckless, aggressive and slightly crazy ones”. 

She sighs and nods slightly, “yeah...I know. It’s just, I cared,_ I care_, and I just...didn’t want you to get hurt”, glancing down at the tail again and shaking away the attempting to form tears. 

Danny shifts his head to be a little closer to her and nods, “I can understand that. I never want anyone to get hurt. I’ll gladly take the hits instead”. 

Valerie blinks, “is _that _why you never hit Dash? So he doesn’t aim for someone else?”. 

Danny swallows and nods, twitching slightly, “I mean yeah and um, is he beating other people up?”. 

She glares at him, “fucking Zone Danny”, he sounded more bothered by the idea of Dash hurting someone other than him, than he was about losing his _own damn legs_. Especially watching him huff, twitch and look at her again, seeming almost pleading. Shaking her head, “you’re a damn idiot”, sighing, “no. He actually seems more bothered by you being gone and hurt than Sam and Tucker do. Your, um, locker has a lot more dents in it now”, she screws up her face and laughs slightly, school was really weird right now, “there’s flowers and stuff around your locker, your pictures on it too. He keeps punching it”.

Danny can’t help but laugh at that mental image, satisfied that he was still somehow protecting people from the bully. Though he can’t help but blink and wonder, is Dash becoming Obsessive over bullying him? He should probably be more bothered by that possibility, but it would assure Dash always aimed at him. Shaking his head, “you’d think I died”. 

Valerie shrugs, “I guess everyone sort of realised how much of a staple you are of the school. Your weird is just part of the school and town. Like if Dash or Paulina got hurt. Everyone’s noticed the absence”, tracing on his arm cast again, “it’s like everyone’s in Danny withdrawal. Even the weathers been weird”. 

Danny shifts a bit awkwardly, that might be more accurate than she thinks. Amity was his lair, and they were all part of it. His lair would be missing him, reacting with displeasure to the lack of his constant shedding off ectoplasm. And of course all his humans would be very used to his shedded ectoplasm. Technically they literally _were _in withdrawal from him, from his ectoplasm. That’s one side affect that he didn’t see coming. Guess it made sense that his lair and his humans were attached to him, as he was to them. Though that makes him feel a little bad, would one of his general Amity humans go into literal withdrawal if they tried to move out? Were away from him too long? That would be bad and harmful for them. Which is firmly not okay. Clearing his throat and twitching, “you make it sound like I’m addictive”, forcefully chuckling, “think any of you could quit me?”. 

Valerie squints at him, “it’s not like no one’s ever left, so duh Danny. You’re just a normal part of everyone’s life. And no way am I quitting you”, glaring at him, “so don't you dare _die_”.

Danny nods with a slight smile, that’s right, Mia and Hanna had moved away as soon as they graduated; pretty sure they got married too. Curling his tail out and using it to pat her shoulder, “I ain’t about to let the other _half _of me keel over”. 

Valerie gapes at him, both stunned and unsurprised he just made that kind of joke. Whacking his head, “oh my Zone! I can’t believe you!”, glaring at him before shaking her head with a slightly smile, “I, fucking Zone Danny, you damn well better not”. 

Danny smirks devilishly pretty much letting his tongue fly, “ah one of the things I’ve always loved about ya, not afraid to give me a good beating”. He really did enjoy their battles and even as Fenton she had no problem giving him love taps. Though thinking over that just makes him blush a little and look away from her, glancing around the room; regretting his mouth slightly. 

Valerie blinks, Danny always managed to be startling, and both disarming and alarming. Feeling the now somewhat awkward tension building up a little, looking at and tracing her fingers on her arm, muttering, “fuck it”, before looking at his face; him turning to her and raising a confused eyebrow. Goddamn him and his adorable stupidly expressive face. 

Pushing off the railing and kissing him almost aggressively. Which Danny melts into a little, tail wiggling a bit more erratically and curling around some. Near whispering at her as she pulls away a bit, “if this is spurred on by guilt or pity, I’ll be pissed”. 

“No you damn idiot”. 

Raising his eyebrows at her mischievously, “but a cute idiot right?”. 

Valerie rolls her eyes and kisses him again, more softly this time, before sitting back down. Resting on the railing again, “idiot”. 

“Oh so I’m not cute?”. 

“I can’t believe you”, rolling her eyes at him giving her a pouty face, “yes you are cute, happy?”. 

Danny smirks, “very much so and you don’t seem to be able to believe much about me today”. 

She flips him off, “you’re in a _hospital without legs_, and your body’s pulling some strange shit; while you’re cracking jokes. You’ve earned my total disbelief”. 

Danny smirks but looks down at his tail, which is still moving around a bit erratically. He’s deciding to just let it do it’s thing, considering he’s got to get used to it always being there, instead of just when he’s flying; possibly for the rest of his half-life. Valerie following his line of sight, giggling a little awkwardly, “it’s really energetic huh?”. 

Danny snickering, “very _energised _you could say”. 

“Oh my Zone Danny”, shaking her head at him and poking the tail through the sheets quickly. Which Danny makes his tail still somewhat for. Valerie rolls her eyes at that and looks back at his face, “don't stop on my account. Probably sucks not being able to really move much”, giggling more genuinely, it was as if it was reacting to Danny’s feelings or whatever. The kiss. Kissing. Deciding to test that out because it was honestly a good distraction and yes, she was an idiot before. 

Danny knows she’s up to something when she catches him off guard with another kiss but smirks through it, clearly seeing she’s watching his tail. Deciding to humour her, he lets it do its thing; wiggling and pulsing happily. She laughs genuinely, making Danny feel quite content with himself, as she sits back again. Shaking her head after a beat before leaning against the railing once more, “this is so weird and you’re not the only one allowed to be an idiot sometimes”. 

Danny shrugs and looks around a little awkwardly, “well I’ve got to get used to it, and, well, so does everyone else. Whose close to me anyway”, shrugging, “don’t wanna make you uncomfortable with all the waving and squirming”. 

Valerie rolls her eyes and flicks his head, prompting him to look back to her as she talks, “idiot. It’s weird yeah. How could it not be Danny? But weird’s kind of your thing”, shrugging and giving him a soft smile, “if weird bothered me I wouldn’t be here”. 

Danny makes a face and nods, “point”, Danny shifts his head to be closer to where she’s resting, “I guess you’re pretty strange yourself”, chuckling, “guess you’d have to be and by the way, Sam and Tuck have seen the tail too”. 

She pats his head, “no surprise there”, she blinks and laughs, “oh Zone. This is why they have little white snake plushies on their backpacks”. 

Danny huffs, “those little shits”, honestly Danny’s a little touched and amused by that. 

Valerie smirks down at him, “I’ll have to ask where they got them”, smirking more as Danny gives her an overacted pouty face. 

Danny then blinks and glances at the clock, it was well past one now, looking back to her, “are you skipping school?”. 

Valerie raises an eyebrow at him, “you’re one to talk. How often are you actually in class? _All _class?”. 

Danny just rolls his eyes as they sit in silence again. Eventually both of them just close their eyes and exist in each other’s space. Danny, taking a bit of a risk, lazily and absent-mindedly winds his tail around in her hair, effectively petting her. Asking softly after a while, “this fine?”. 

Valerie hums, “feels kind of nice actually”, cracking open an eye at him, “what does it feel like to _you _though?”. She doesn’t really have a word to describe it but it was like a snake winding around in her hair. A cold snake, that was occasionally making aborted attempts at braiding, or something, her hair. Also like being really close to something very high in static electricity. His...ectoplasmic energy -Zone that was weird to think- prickling at her scalp, almost tickling. 

Danny tilts his head some, not bothering to open his eyes, “hmmmm. Kind of like licking your hair but without taste buds and very limblessly. Which-”. Danny snorts as Valerie mutters, “goddamnit Danny”. Danny picks back up, “which hair seems more textured this way. And I’m pretty sure I can actually feel some of my shedding ectoplasm seeping into you. Also, that pun was not intentional”. 

Valerie glances at the tail, watching it wiggle slightly and ectoplasm definitely misting off occasionally. Still incredibly weird that was attached to him. She might as well not question it though. She knew about half ghosts and those didn’t make a lick of sense. Blinking some, wait..._technically_, right, wasn’t Danny technically half ghost now? Just a lot more literal. Zone that was messed up. Forcing down feelings of pity, because Danny doesn’t want and doesn’t need that. Letting his tail running through her hair bring her back to the conversation, “that’s a little gross Danny. Everyone around you is going to be horribly contaminated”. 

Danny can’t help but laugh at that. That was already accurate, more so than she knew. Opening his eyes and smirking at her, able to see his tail to the side, “be glad I’m leaving ectoplasm not saliva”. She hits his forehead for that. 

Lewis walks in barely five minutes later as they’ve settled into silence again. Danny and Valerie looking at him as the door slowly closes, holding two coffees and a container. Lewis raises an eyebrow, “am I interrupting something?”. While Danny’s tail had paused in its twisting up of some pieces of Valerie’s hair. 

Danny, being someone without much in the way of shame, “what’s up doc? Apparently I’m not as single as I thought”, tail resuming its ‘task’.

“Oh my Zone Danny”, Valerie tries to bat away his tail, which he manoeuvres around her hand for a while before letting her actually bat it off. 

Lewis gives him an unimpressed glare and puts one coffee, with a straw, on the table, “that is never funny. I expected better from you”, shrugging loosely, “ehh at least there’s no tendrils”. 

Danny squints at him, “what is it with you and... ‘_tendrils_’?”. 

Valerie grumbles, “I’m content not knowing the answer to that”. 

Danny shifts and sips at his coffee some, it was decidedly not hospital coffee. Pointing his tail at Val, “this is Valerie by the way”, pointing at Lewis and looking to Val, “this is Dr. Lewis, though the doctor parts kinda obvious”. 

Lewis smiles cheerily as he puts the container to the side, “yup. I’m the guy who whacked off his legs”. 

Danny uses his tail to facepalm, muttering into it, “oh Ancients”. While Valerie cringes and near physically recoils, making a face at Lewis. 

Lewis turns around speaking, “what?”, before spotting Valerie’s, definitely freaked out face. Clearly she was a more normal person, meaning his comment was probably really unpleasant. Clearing his throat, “I believe I’ve made a bad first impression”. 

Danny rolls his eyes and has some more coffee, “understatement doc, not everyone around me is completely strange”. 

Lewis nods, he really shouldn’t assume but everyone he’s met who’s around Danny were very much strange people. Pointing the rim of his cup at Danny’s tail, which is hanging off the bed slightly and waving in the air, gravity clearly didn’t apply to it, “well you were doing something arguably weird and she seemed fine with it. So she’s got some tolerance for strange”. 

Valerie grumbles, “strange is not the same as making jokes about..._that_”, shaking her head and glaring at Danny, “I’d expect that out of you though. And I’d call you an idiot over it”. 

Danny smirks at her, “what? no side of mild assault?”, looking to Lewis as she whacks Danny in the face, “she likes to give love taps”. 

Lewis taps his chin and laughs, “you know. I walked in on a friend of mine tipping the fridge over on another friend of mine, screaming, ‘how’s that for a love tap bitch!’”, Lewis shrugs, “I just stood there for a while, as the first friend tried to shove part of the other friend down the sink drain. But hey! they make great coffee, so positives”. 

Danny looks at his cup and nods a bit awkwardly, “you’re not...wrong. But your friends have _issues_. A lot of them”. 

Valerie bends over and wheezes, before sitting back up straight and wiping away a tear. Shaking her head at Danny, “pretty sure I overheard Tucker mention that you got a flaming stove _thrown _at you once”. 

Danny points his tail at her, “but I wasn’t friends, or possibly lovers, with them!”. 

Lewis jerks, going slightly wide-eyed and snaps his fingers, “that’s right!”, making the two look at him, “they are a couple. One of them said so, the other just said ‘what? We are?’ and looked confused yet hopeful. The first practically shrieked at him, “of course we are you idiot! You think I’d put up with this crap from anyone else you absolute fool!” and threw a pot at him; which ricocheted into my face. It’s been a morning”. 

Danny shakes his head, “good for them? You friends are absolute disasters. I’m not sure if that makes things better or worse”, people who sound like this much of a mess don’t accidentally just decide to become murders. And they also don’t get away with it unless people are just letting them do it. 

Valerie pokes him, “pot calling the kettle black. I’ve been calling you an idiot all morning. And are you trying to claim you’re not a disaster?”. 

Danny flinches a little bit, “we’re not the same”. Lewis easily picking up that was over being compared to someone, two someones, who hurt people. Nodding quickly, “Danny’s much more moral and the two of them really barely hold themselves together most of the time. That’s without taking into account the excessive drinking, tendencies that probably verge on suicidal, and frequently shutting themselves off from the entire world”. 

Valerie looks at Danny and pats his head, “um, thanks for _not _doing _that_”. While Danny just chuckles awkwardly, there was plenty that those two did that he would _never _do. 

Lewis squints at Valerie and then looks to the door, which had been locked, tilting his head. Looking back and asking, “how’d you get in here anyway?”. 

“Window”. 

“I’m sneaky”, Valerie looks at Danny, “you idiot”. 

Lewis scratches his head and looks at the window, “I'm guessing you undid the hinges. Though how’d you even get up this high?”, blinking and looking at her, “did you scale the building?!?”. 

Danny knew she had just flown her board up here but he couldn’t exactly say that. Since she didn’t know he knew and her being a hunter wasn’t his secret to be telling. So instead he shrugs and looks at her. 

Valerie blushes slightly and just shrugs. Not about to give some random weird adult that answer. 

Lewis shakes his head and looks at Danny, “you know, part of the reason for the locked door is so people can’t just waltz in here and see your quote-unquote ‘weird’”, tapping his chin and pointing at Valerie, “And isn’t it a school day?”. 

Valerie groans as Danny points his tail at her, “oh no an adult called you out, better scam before you get in trouble”.

“I’m not ten Danny, I don’t have to listen to adults”.

Lewis clears his throat, “well this is actually _my _hospital. More or less. So _technically_”. 

Valerie tilts her head back and stands, “oh Zone, _fine_”, walking to the door, “don’t do something stupid or die”, pausing to turn around and point at him, “don’t do something stupid _and _die”. 

Danny smirks, “ouch”, as the door closes. Easily overhearing someone saying, “hey! You’re that girl who was trying to get in earlier!”. Hearing Valerie mutter, “oh shit”, before Danny laughs over hearing running footsteps. 

Lewis raises an eyebrow at him so Danny shakes his head with a small smile, “your nurses or security or whatever are giving Val shit, chasing after her”, smirking devilishly, “they won’t catch her though”. 

Lewis tilts his head as he grabs the container, “how do you know they’re doing that?”, taking a piece of chocolate cake out of the container and putting it on the table, “cake?”. 

Danny blushes slightly and looks around awkwardly, “good hearing”, looking at the slice of cake, “considering you said your friends cook with blood, where’d that come from?”. 

Lewis waves him off, “I made it. It was an apology cake for those two since I didn’t exactly have permission to be telling vague tales about them. They let me keep two pieces because of hitting me with a pot”, squinting at him, “and that’s some seriously strong hearing you’ve got then”. 

Danny shakes his head, grabs the fork with his tail and takes a bite, blinking and speaking with a full mouth, “furk you mack goo caughck”, and having some more. 

Lewis shrugs, “I’m the cook and baker in the marriage”. 

Danny points the fork, “then your at least partly on cooking duty’s at the house. Unless it’s fudge, my parents cooking is questionable”. 

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me”. 

After a while of Lewis quietly sipping his coffee and Danny polishing off the cake and it’s plate. Danny takes a sip of his coffee, “soooooo, obviously you talked to your...Ancients..._murder buddies”_, looking at the cup, “they make a _strong _coffee by the way”. 

Lewis nods and sips his, “nothing weird in it. One of them just likes his coffee, and I quote, ‘physically painful enough to consume, that it cleanses me of my sins’. I’ve seen him chug it while both boiling and ice cold. Sometimes he goes halfsies with hard liquor and even I can’t drink that. I prefer my tongue and throat intact”. 

Danny blinks, muttering, “oh Ancients, goddamnit”, looking at Lewis, “I prefer ‘bitter enough to yeet my ghost out of my meat-suit and leave my shell a bloodied husk’”. 

Lewis dips his head, “that’s arguably more intense and disturbing. Vee would approve”. 

Danny blinks, “sweet Ancients, did I just get an actual _name_”. 

Lewis nods as he tosses his empty cup and sits down, ankles crossed, “technically they don’t have a name, but ‘Vee’ is what everyone calls them. They’re the weird one. The other, Eddie, is the disaster”. 

Danny grumbles, “they both sound like disasters”, before sipping at his coffee and staring Lewis down, “so they said they’re cool with you telling me their shit? And _what _did you tell them about _me_?”. 

Lewis smiles and chuckles, it had been an _interesting _morning, “yes they did. And honestly, barely anything. The first mention of you was simply that you had a strange physiology and had things in common with them. Vee instantly got excited and near shouted at the other, ‘increasing social circles is healthy! Eddie! Go be healthy!’. Which just became an argument about wether or not they needed more friends. Vee won that one. The only other things I told them was that you’re a minor, which Eddie wasn’t too pleased by but also didn’t seem to care much, and that you weren’t literally like them. The last thing was that I’m treating you for injuries and that they really should wait to say hi until after your healed”. 

Danny blinks, that little? Seriously? Either they _really _trusted Lewis’s judgment or they have very _very _little sense of self preservation. Shaking his head, “that’s kind of sad really”. 

Lewis isn’t about to deny that, “me and my wife are their only friends really. The bodega lady is almost a friend though. But she likes anyone who buys her stuff and saved her life, so long as they don’t cause problems for her”. 

Danny shrugs, he couldn’t really judge. He just had two human friends too. And a girlfriend apparently. But he also had his parents and he was on friendly terms with most humans. And most ghosts he’d met were either friends or frenemies. Quirking an eyebrow, “wait, why’d you have to point out I wasn’t exactly like them? Did they literally just jump to the conclusion I was?”. 

Lewis chuckles and nods, “yeah. The one thing they are genuinely paranoid about is others like them. See, Vee is basically a complete outlier. All the others like them that have ever been around are basically evil. They were functionally exiled and marked for death because of being different. So there isn’t any others like them around”, Lewis frowns, “that’s kind of why I was so eager at the prospect of you, someone with at least some things in common with both of them, possibly befriending them”. 

Danny breathes out, “fuck that sucks but I kind of know the feeling”, considering how the G.I.W. would treat him if the world ever found out. So this ‘Vee’ didn’t fit in, which was pretty literally like him. Except it was over behaviour, or way of thinking maybe, rather than deadness. But at least there were others like Danny.....okay one was crazy and sort of evil and the other was a clone. Nodding, “the only other like me for a long time is basically evil, so I get that”, squinting a little, “but these two aren’t really or fully human, are they?”. 

Lewis smiles and nods, not wanting to make an assumption that Danny is guessing that because _he’s _not truly human. Which honestly, he probably could be considered part ghost, couldn’t he? “Vee’s an alien actually. Eddies human. But-”.

Danny cuts off Lewis, looking very excited, “ALIEN!!! Dude you should have started with that! That’s AWESOME!! I am a goddamn space nerd dude! Oh Ancients that’s cool! Where are they from!?! What’s it like!?! Rock texture!?! What’s the air like!?! How many stars are there!?! What’s their trajectory with earth!?! Other solar systems!?! Oh! Oh! Have they been closer to Canis Major!?! I’ve always loved that one! Liked to think if I just went fast enough I could rocket up into space! And-OH MY ANCIENTS! HAVE THEY! OH ANCIENTS END ME! HAVE THEY BEEN TO OTHER PLANETS!?!”. 

Lewis blinks as Danny just goes off on a massive tangent about what possible kinds of planets he thinks could exist and star situations in different galaxies. He guesses that maybe he should have mentioned the alien thing way sooner. If only to make Danny more comfortable and interested. He’s also chalking up Danny not seemingly pausing for breaths as an ectoplasm thing. Blinking, slightly startled, as Danny has just completely lost him; the sheer amount he knew would probably startle an astronaut. Watching excited brightly glowing green eyes and his tail basically just vibrating, waving and coiling all over the place. It was like Vee with chocolate. Bordering on obsessive and disturbing. Which was actually impressive. Listening as he goes off about the inner workings of spaceships and ‘how did they get here!?! What’s their ship like!?! Do they have one still!?!’ And how Danny apparently knew how to pilot spaceships. Lewis puts up his hands at Danny basically saying he _actually did pilot one once_, “woah woah Danny! I’m not the alien. And what do you mean you ‘_landed one once_’?”. 

Danny blinks, breathing for a bit before looking at Lewis, he did say that didn’t he? Stupid mouth. But...SPACE! Finally clueing in that his eyes are basically blazing ectogreen grounds him a fair bit though. Blinking a few times and pushing down his ectoenergy, “heh heh. I really like space”.

“I can tell”. 

Danny shrugs awkwardly, tail still whipping around and vibrating excitedly, “and you just told me your friend is from _space_. Excuse me for needing my ‘freak the fuck out’ moment”. 

Lewis chuckles, “far be it for me to dictate what you take interest in. I’d say obsess over but that’s got different connotations with you. Also the landing a spaceship thing?”. 

Danny chuckles awkwardly, “it’s a wonder space isn’t my Obsession. And yeah that happened. Ghost stone thing brought a spaceship to life, it tried to eat me, took the stone out and had to pilot the spaceship to land safely”. 

Lewis blinks, “starting to think you have a very long list of very weird exploits”. 

Danny shrugs, looking to change the subject, “soooo...aliens? Or alien really”. 

Lewis laughs and shakes his head, obviously Danny didn’t exactly want to talk about everything he’s gotten up to. “Yeah just one alien. There were others actually but they all died. Which is honestly good, the others goal was to basically take over our planet and consume everything. Vee and Eddie stopped it. Vee’s from a planet called Klyntar. But that’s all I know”. 

Danny huffs, “why does Earth have to have the lame name? It’s so _dirty_. Really _soils _our image”. 

Lewis chuckles and shakes his head, Danny’s humour seemed to be a constant about him. “It’s not too creative, Klyntar is also their species. Though they’re called Symbiotes here. Vee doesn’t seem to mind at all”.

Danny nods, he got called a few different things himself. Species wise. Halfa, hybrid, half ghost, halfbreed...none were really wrong or all that insulting. Much better than ‘freak’ or ‘thing’ or ‘bastardisation’. 

Lewis decides to just keep talking, since Danny’s clearing thinking through somethings, “they were brought here by one really stupid rich entrepreneur trying to make humans able to live in space. Through human experimentation. Eddie found out and accidentally broke Vee out. Had a rocky start-”.

Danny cuts him off with a snort, “the whole destroying Eddies insides? That’s more than rocky doc. What? did the whole world saving gig form a friendship? Love interest?”. 

Lewis can’t help but laugh at that, since it was really the opposite way around. Getting up, “I’ll explain while I do your wrappings”, which Danny sighs over, “trust me, you’ll want a distraction a little. Since I’m pretty well explaining the ‘need to kill’ problem”. 

Danny cringes but nods, “okay yeah, sounds like a plan”, as Lewis sets up and gets to work. 

It was just as weird going through the tail as before, but at least it wasn’t totally foreign this time, “Vee originally was on board to destroy earth and humanity but Eddie changed their mind. I’m pretty sure Vee’s loved him since about a day after they met. But they also have something called perfect symbiosis. See Vee’s called a Symboite for a reason. Their species are basically parasites but they can exist symbiotically. Vee lives inside Eddie’s body”. 

Danny snorts, “wow that is pretty damn weird. Explains why they’re attached at the hip, they are literally attached”. 

Lewis smirks and nods, pulling at some bandaging, “exactly. Vee will die within minutes without a host. And Eddie happens to be a perfect match for them. Kind of like how you said your ectoplasm matches the rest of you so it doesn’t hurt you. Normally hosts die within a week. Normally Symboites don’t care about their hosts and basically just use them up like cheap batteries. Consuming their bodies and moving on. Parasites, very aggressive parasites. But Vee’s different, wants symbiosis and _hates _being labelled a parasite. Seriously, don’t call them that. Eddies the only one who can get away with that and usually even he doesn’t”. 

Danny blinks, so basically Vee was fucked and pretty well damned to be evil from birth? That’s pretty fucked up. They just fought that nature, or whatever, because of a guy. That is incredibly cheesy. Does make him feel a bit better about the whole...._killing_...thing. Doesn’t explain it though. “So Vee’s past behaviour is negligible, but why still doing the...killing?”. 

Lewis scrunches his eyebrows and looks at Danny’s face, “you’re pretty quick to write off past behaviour?”. 

Danny shrugs, “big believer in second chances”. 

“Fair enough”, finishing up the new wrapping, pretty sure Danny’s legs are regrowing at this point. Which would be weird if his friends didn’t also do that. “So this shouldn’t be surprising but Vee has different needs. Fresh raw human brains and chocolate. Phenethylamine, aka brain juice as Vee tends to call it. Basically a super carnivorous predator”. 

“Ancients fuck Lewis. _They fucking eat people?_ That’s some fucking zombie shit. Ancients. I mean consuming ectoplasm is sort of like eating ghost body parts, which is a thing I’ve never thought about before, but still”, Danny blinks harshly, “so Eddie’s basically forced into cannibalism for, by?, his body roommate?!? That’s really damn messed up Lewis”. But it is also one Hell of a reason. Of course the alien probably didn’t even see it as weird or wrong. Like eating deer or some shit. So fine, they’re excused. But why the Zone would a human go along with that? “Why the fuck is Eddie okay with this?”. 

Lewis finishes packing up the excess supplies and wrappings before responding, “I’ve asked myself that many times. Part of it’s definitely love though. Eddie can be a bit of a ‘I’ll burn down the whole world for you’ kind of person. But Eddie’s always been something of a vigilante. Taking down corrupt organisations and politicians and gangs with his words. He’s got a big heart and will gladly sacrifice his own health or do things he’s uncomfortable with to help or protect-”.

Danny cuts him off, “you are describing me at this point. And I would _never _kill. Since he can clearly help without Vee then why the Zone is he going along with this?”. 

Lewis sighs, most people felt that way until they were presented with either dying or killing...or someone else dying or killing...or world destruction or killing. “I would argue with you on the ‘never’ bit but I don’t think you’d take that well”, sitting down as Danny glares at him, twitching. Lewis speaking again, “simply put there’s major benefits to hosting a Symbiote. Near indestructibility, near invulnerability, and near immortality. Better senses, new senses, strength, speed. A new body basically and literally in a way. Eddie could only help with his voice and a pen before; and often that didn’t do a whole lot. Now he can fight and truly get rid of the bad guys. He’s basically playing judge, jury and executioner. Vee’s the one going along with it. And only because that’s what makes Eddie okay and happy. Helping. Doing good things, even if it’s in bad ways”, shrugging, “Eddie’s never really been a ‘do things by the book’ person. The ends always justified the means. Which is absolutely messed up. Good guy, just not moral”, shaking his head and chuckling, “he’s such a nice guy that he didn’t even complain really about Vee just body snatching him. Until the killing him from the inside out thing. Vee didn’t even really apologise for that, still does it and tells him so, when Eddie’s annoying them. But they can fix up any damage they do, so Eddie just gets mildly annoyed and refuses to buy the fancy chocolate”.

Danny just stares at Lewis for a bit. What kind of person just goes ‘whelp! I guess I’ll just _murder_ and _eat people_ for the greater good and my alien body buddy’. Blinking a few times, “the alien I can get. They’re a fucking alien. But the human? Yeah no, there’s no way that’s remotely okay. If he can choose not to kill people then he damn well should. Just eat a fuck ton of chocolate and animals or some shit”. 

“I asked the same honestly. I’m tolerant of what they do, not some huge supporter. They’ve also tried that themselves. To say it didn’t work would be an understatement. If Vee doesn’t get enough their body will simply start eating Eddie’s. Whether they want to or not. And Vee actively will destroy _anything _for Eddie. Including themselves. They nearly did that once. And Symbiotes actually can have complete control over their hosts body if they want. So even if Eddie did everything in his power not to, Vee would basically force it on him. Vee’s being _nice _by letting Eddie pick who can qualify as food. This also means that Vee could technically stop Eddie from attempting to separate. But Vee would do anything, including separate, for Eddie. _They’ve done it_”. 

If Danny could he’d be throwing his hands up in the air. This reason was a goddamn viable reason. “So Eddie wants this? Or them at least? Even with freaking cannibalism as a condition to the relationship? _WHY_? I mean, fine, he gets a pass with Vee inside him. But if they could separate or stay separate, why wouldn’t Eddie want that?”. 

Lewis shrugs, there wasn’t really a good reason, “love’s stupid and Eddie, though I love the guy, is nearly the definition of incredibly stupid and occasionally self-destructive. But I know part of it is that Vee basically sacrificed themselves, only surviving by pure luck, to save the world. Just because of Eddie. So Vee doesn’t deserve to basically be abandoned or left to die because of their diet. Like I said, Eddie’s _nice_. Too nice. But he was pretty much a wreck after he thought Vee died. I don’t think he consumed anything other than alcohol and coffee for days. Definitely wasn’t washing up and was either awake for days or passed out on the floor for days. As it stands, I think both of them would rather die than be separated”, smiling a little because it was honestly kind of sweet, “if you found the one thing or person or purpose in the entire universe that was absolutely perfect for you, wouldn’t you get a little attached?”. 

Danny blinks and screws up his face some, looking down at himself. They were with each other like he was with protecting. Which his ghosts side pretty well instantly rationalises. You don’t make a ghost go against their Obsession, you don’t question it, you just _don’t_. Regardless of what it was. Looking at Lewis, “so they’re basically each other’s Obsession”. 

Lewis restrains a laugh, Danny, for a guy who can’t actually move much, is almost disturbingly still. It reminded him of how Vee, who’s body was always moving liquid, would just still if they were serious. Nodding slightly, “they’re not ghosts or ghostly but yeah. They need each other”. 

Danny nods, tail wiggling faintly again, “okay then. It’s alright. Obviously I don’t approve. But they’re fine”. 

Lewis is a little damn thrown. It was like a switch had just been flipped in Danny. One second twitching and not even kind of okay and the next calm and even relaxed. Lewis is a little confused, “oooookaaaaaay. What did I say that just made you suddenly _okay _with my murder friends?”. And Danny doesn’t even flinch at ‘murder’ this time. Should he be worried? 

Danny shrugs, “well my Obsession’s been pacified. More or less. They’re doing what they absolutely have to, and expressing it in the best possible way, to sustain and satisfy what’s basically an Obsession. That question you asked was basically the definition of an Obsession. The one thing perfect for you and you need above everything, including self. So it’s fine. Arguably better than CW actually”.

Lewis tilts his head, “CW?”. 

Danny snorts and looks around a bit, “me and my mouth. One second”, switching into ghost speak and whining dramatically, “T̵i͏m̡͝͠e͏͝D̨a͏̵a͝͏̨a̸add̡͢y̶̶y҉͢yy̡y͝͠?̵͞ ͘I ̸k͝n̕ow͏̸ ͝y͢͞o͡u̵̴͢’͞r͢͠e ̸s̛u̕p͝͏p͟o̴̡s̕͘e͝҉d̶̢ t̶̕͟o͝ b͘e͝ ͞͠a̧͏l̴͞l͘ ̴s͞ecŗ̶͟e̴̶͜t̷̴ ҉and͜ ̢͝s͞h̕͟i҉̡t̶ ̡b̶u͡ţ͡ y̴o͡u̵ w̕e҉r͏͏e ͏a̢ ̶͢li̕tt̵̢l̷e̕̕͜ ̶͟s̴h̶i҉̶t͢͢ ̨̧e̵̡͡a͜rl͢͠i͠e̡r͢͝,̶̧͟ ̶̧s͞o͢ ͞l̡͜҉i̡͟st̵en͘ ̢t͝͡o҉͘ your̶ ̶p̸̸ro̷͢b̧̛l͡͡ȩm̨͝ ̷͡C͜HII͢͢Į͢͜II̵I̡͢I͠L̴͜D͝”. 

Lewis jerks back a bit, that’s was certainly a...sound? Scratchy static with an echoing reverberation, it’s honestly creepier than Vee’s gravely and inherently predatory growling voice. And now he’s firmly reminded of the first time he actually heard Vee’s voice. Danny has _another _thing in common with those two. Except Lewis isn’t sure what language that was. Scrunching up his eyebrows in confusion as a hourglass seemingly comes out of nowhere and smacks Danny in the head, landing on his forehead. Watching as Danny picks it up with his tail and stares at it.

Danny smirks and chuckles at the little ‘it’s the right _time_’ written on the bottom. Snapping his eyes shut as the bottom falls off, dumping the purple sand on his face. 

Lewis takes the (broken)hourglass when Danny basically hands it to him, looking inside it as Danny wipes off his face. Squinting at the writing, ‘hello Lewis. It’s sim-BYE-oat not sim-bee-ote’. Lewis looks up and then to Danny with a very confused frown, “I just got my pronunciation corrected by an hourglass”. 

Danny chuckles, “what’d you mess up?”. 

Lewis looks back down then up, “Symbiote, it’s ‘bye’ not ‘bee’”. 

Danny nods with a smirk, “yeah that’s a pretty noticeable difference. No surprise CW called you out then”, Danny looks to Lewis and snorts at his confused expression, “CW’s really good at confusing. Short for ClockWork, that’s the ghost who was playing chess with me last night”. 

“That honestly explains nothing. Except that you’re friends”, squinting at Danny, “have they been listening to our conversation? How do they even know the right pronunciations? I only got permission to tell you, not your ghost dad. And that language?”. 

Danny sighs, “Lewis, they new about Symbiotes before you did, before Eddie did. Before even Vee did. Before they even existed. That language was ghost speak, I was asking if I could tell you of their existence, because they are a secret entity. Very few know of them and near none know about them. Very powerful ghost with omnipresence and omniscience basically. You might know them as Father Time. The being that controls and watches over all of time”. 

“So a god?”.

“Yeah, pretty much”. 

Lewis puts his hand over his mouth and wheezes, “well congrats. I’ve got no weird friend story for that one”. 

Danny smirks, “am I officially the weirdest person you’ve ever met?”. 

Lewis taps his chin and shakes his head, “possibly weirdest situation and life, but my friends are still weirder people”. 

Danny points his tail, “but that’s combined right?”. 

Lewis rolls his eyes, “they’re one unit. Vee’s like your ectoplasm but more sentient and conscious on their own”. 

Danny rolls his eyes right back, “my ectoplasm is just a puddle of green goo and base instincts without me”. 

“Vee’s just a puddle of black goo and base instincts without Eddie”. 

Danny screws up his face, “motherfucker. Well Vee clearly has their own personality and non-instinct based wants. My ectoplasm does not. It’s not it’s own person or being. Damn positive Vee is”. Phantom may be his ghost but he was Phantom. Phantom wasn’t some other entity. Sure people not in the know looked at Phantom and Fenton and saw two different people. And oh Zone, people not in the know looked at Vee and Eddie and thought there was just one person. 

Lewis dips his head, “I’ll give you that one”. 

Danny nods absently, if he wants to be really weird about it, he sort of was two people, both playing different roles and emphasising different parts of his personality. And these two apparently acted as a unit, so weren’t they really kind of like one being? Two beings doing things as one, and Danny as one being doing things as two? Then there was the whole, they’d hate to be separated. Which, same. He literally and intentionally electrocuted _himself _with four billion volts just to be a halfa, Phantom, again. And oh Zone, Eddie freaked over being separated. Became depressive or something. Danny reacted _way _worse. Danny was a dick, who was he to harp on this random man for freaking out over being split. Danny had _fucking murdered and destroyed the world _over being separated. Fuck. He was saying they should be separated, should want to be. _He was saying they should be split._ Literally his own worst fucking nightmare. And they already _killed_, what the fresh Hell would their _Dan _be? That’s a horrifying mental image. But also...

Lewis watches as Danny twitch’s and makes some clearly freaked out facial expressions at the ceiling. It’s sort of like when he mentioned his name but seemingly worse. If it wasn’t for Danny’s more unique physiology, which he knew from Eddie could really mess with a persons thought processes, he might recommend him to a psychologist. Which for a sixteen-year-old paints a pretty unpleasant picture. Couple that with all the scarring. Deciding this is another mental spiral that doesn’t need to continue, “Vee can make tendrils out of Eddie’s body, by the way”. 

Danny pauses his mental musings and blinks, ‘tendrils’ was a jarring word. Looking at Lewis, “that...explains a lot, I think?”, shuffling, “question, how long has Vee been here? Earth?”. 

That’s yet another question Lewis didn’t expect, “just over a year now, why?”. 

Danny blinks, so technically it was feasible that, due to differences in timelines, Vee possibly either never came to earth or never met Eddie in _Dan’s_ timeline. So it’s possible that future him didn’t_ brutally slaughter _them as a unit. Eddie though, he definitely did. So that was...marginally better. Vee might be the only potential? friend? _Dan _didn’t _fucking murder._ The fucking murder alien might be the only one free from being _murdered_. The absolute irony of that clears Danny’s head and makes him start laughing and wheezing. 

Lewis is just wondering if this was the beginning of that Obsession insanity problem. “Yeah only a year. Neither have made a single new friend besides me in that time. So new friends would be _helpful_”. 

Danny wheezes slightly, shaking his head, “and that comment wasn’t helpful. But, uh, nice attempt?”. 

Lewis shrugs, “not sympathetic. Works with Vee because they’re blunt and don’t really know what sympathy _is_. Eddie, well, any amount of affection works with him; very affection starved”.

Danny scrunches his eyebrows, “I’m feeling more and more bad for your friends”. 

Lewis chuckles and nods, “I guess it could be easy feeling bad for them. One’s basically a murder tag along drunkard who was abused as a child and chased out of New York, who’s constantly getting in trouble because he just can’t stop pissing off powerful people. The other spent six hundred million years part of a violently murderous hive mind being endlessly mocked and was going to be sacrificed as food to do ‘one good thing with their pathetic existence’ and then fucked that up too, and is all alone on earth. They’re self-proclaimed losers and idiots, who have standing ‘kill on sight’ orders against them from nearly every planet and species. Because Klyntar in general and especially with perfect symbiosis can devour worlds, thus they will be killed for the crime of being able to possibly destroy a world or worlds in the future”. 

Danny blinks a few times, firmly startled; but also feeling major deja-vu. Sputtering, “well _fuck_. That’s, uh, that’s really shit. And I thought life stiffed me. Well, I mean, it _did_. Their life kinda sucks, mine’s just kinda dead. Though, um, been there done that, for that last bit”. 

Lewis squints at him, “the rest of the universe does or did have standing kill orders on you? Because they think or thought you’d destroy a planet or planets?”. Lewis thinks that is so far out of character it’s absurd. Sure Venom doesn’t try to destroy any planets but they would if either half was separated or for their own protection. But destroying a planet rather requires killing, Danny pretty firmly wouldn’t do that. 

Danny shrugs and looks at the ground, “more like the entirety of the Ghost Zone. Which is were all ghosts, from everywhere in the universe, exist. It was pretty reasonable though. Arguably. And honestly, I’m startled enough right now to not even be all that freaked talking about that time I destroyed all of humanity, ghosts and earth. And CW decided that, naw this probably shouldn’t happen, showed me the crap and lowkey helped avoid it from happening”, sighing, “and that’s how I met and fought _Dan_, my jerky evil mass-murdering-world-destroying older self”, glaring at Lewis, who looks suitably shell-shocked, “and thats why I won’t kill. Cause _Dan _kills and I’m not fucking _Dan _and _I never fucking will be_”. 

Lewis blinks a few times. Alright, so calling Danny Dan really would be a really bad idea. And clearly there’s a boat load of things he doesn’t know about Danny. Because this skinny sort of battered teenager firmly does not seem like a threat. Occasionally startling sure, but capable of wrecking a planet? No, not really. Then again, Eddie looked like an only somewhat functioning trash fire of a guy when the two weren’t all Venom. Clearing his throat, “that’s a lot of shit you just unloaded. But I'm guessing there’s some major stuff I don’t know about you. Also, yeah thanks for not being that _Dan_. Feel free to be like this Dan though, saved a lot of lives. If it’s helps anything, those two could probably destroy the world in a month or so if they tried”. 

“Like I said, you don’t know the half of it. And no, not helpful. _Dan _could in days at most, if he tried. But nooooo, took ten years, because he _wasn’t trying_, because he was _enjoying himself._ Killing was a _game_, Earth a playground of _meat-sacks to mangle_, and apparently scaring people and being a relentlessly stalking looming threat of brutal destructive suffering till people succumbed to hopelessness was half the fun. The other half, just how much pain he could cause till their bodies gave out-”.

Lewis is calling bullshit on Danny being able to talk about this without freaking out, as his tail is spazzing out and eyes glowing almost painfully bright. It was a good thing that generalised gore was an everyday thing for Lewis, Danny was being _quite _descriptive. Honestly, Vee would probably be impressed with Danny right now and that’s honestly a bit horrifying. Cutting Danny off, “so let’s not speak about this before you break the bed. Clearly you have some anger issues or repressed desire to hurt people in some way. But it’s cool, you’re literally the most moral person I’ve ever met. And the most gung ho about it. I honestly can’t imagine how you could be anything like who you’re describing”. 

This instantly reminds Danny of the whole splitting/separating thing. Pretty instantly becoming rather melancholic, “ya remember how I was saying Eddie should wanna be separated? Yeah sorry about that. Being a major hypocrite there”, shrugging, “cheated on a test, family and friends died aka failed my Obsession, got experimented on by a psychotic rich frootloop, got ghost split from human, ghost went insane human went dead”. 

Lewis blinks and nods after a bit, “Yeah, Eddie and Vee would probably do the same if split. The irony though? Eddie and Vee met because of being experimented on by a psychotic rich madman. And Vee’s family dying let them live peacefully. Or more peacefully anyway. And I’m going to call you on something just to be distracting”, while Danny squints his eyes at Lewis though chuckling very slightly over how that really was ironic. Lewis continues, “you’re not entirely human are you? I’d guess half ghost to be honest. And not just because of the legs. Eddie and Vee are two halves of a whole, making Venom. You’re relating in a way that says you also have two halves. Plus there’s all the ‘half’ jokes”. 

Danny snorts, “you know most pass humour off as just that, jokes”. 

“You’re a puns kind of guy, not fabrication. So there’s a truth to it all”. 

Danny would blame his damn mouth but he pretty well walked into this willing. And based off what Lewis knew about these two friends of his, he was goddamn trustworthy. Plus, a doctor friend is good to have. And! yeah this was a good distraction. Thinking of being Phantom generally made him feel better, especially with flying involved, which Ancients did he miss. Maybe he could sneak out or duplicate out. Go be goddamn Danny Phantom for a while and be one with the stars or some shit. Giving a somewhat weak and empty smirk, “smart man”.

Lewis smirks in return, “I am a doctor after all. I’m paid to be smart”. 

Danny chuckles, “and my parents are paid to hunt and know about ghosts, yet they haven’t _caught _on to what you have”. 

“Confirmation without confirming. And I seriously doubt you’ve told them most of what you’ve told me”. 

Danny snorts and rolls his eyes, “I’m a paranoid guy. And why would I? They hate all things ectoplasmic filth and spend their dinners talking about dissecting them”, shrugging, “plus, they’d feel _bad_ and that would _hurt _them. Part of the same reason they don’t know about the scars”. 

Lewis sighs and shakes his head, paranoid was a little too true, “I’ve known them a long time, for their kids or even friends, they’d accept near anything. Definitely including being part ghost. Can’t say I get why they’d feel bad. Eddie’s better off as he is now, same with Vee. I’m sure you are too. That’s something to be happy about I’d say”. 

Danny chuckles sadly and shakes his head, “I know they would, in short term anyway. Been there, done that...twice-”

Lewis chuckles cutting him off, “so it’s more you don’t like change, want to keep your secrets from the ones you live with, and don’t want to hurt them with the knowledge”. 

Danny glares at Lewis, “I’m positive you don’t have kids, but imagine you did. Say you found out that the thing you spent most of your life slaving over and building lovingly with your own hands, painfully and brutally murdered your own kid; and that you didn’t even notice. Celebrated it even. Do you think you’d be happy about that? And then for the next two years blabbered about dissecting them and actively hunting and trying to destroy them, all because you didn’t recognise your own kid? Or that the kid on tv well known for spending nights getting the absolute crap kicked out of him was your own flesh and blood? The injuries I came in with barely counted in my top ten worst Lewis. A fourth of my scars are from _them_”. 

Lewis blinks, point goddamn made. Danny might actually have a more complicated life than Eddie and Vee. Their life was mostly domesticity, hunting down and picking fights with and eating people they had very little chance of even being hurt by, and working in journalism. Danny’s seemed to be a constant series of fights -probably with ghosts not ‘weak’ humans- paranoia secret keeping, and obviously schooling. Eddie and Vee had each other. They knew how their bodies work, very explicitly in Vee’s case. And they were full grown independent adults...not responsible though. Danny was alone in his body and Lewis has a gut feeling that near everything Danny knows about his body is through his own trial and error; researching. Danny was clearly responsible, mature if silly. But still a teen, which was easy to forget and that said it all didn’t it? And the whole ghost = dead wasn’t really something he had thought about. “I never considered how you wound up this way beyond ‘accident with parents stuff’, you’re quite literally a bit dead. And yeah, knowing all that wouldn’t make anyone happy. Though I do think they’d prefer to know”, snapping his fingers, “and you pretty well said you can do something like shape-shifting. They can do that too”. 

Danny raises a eyebrow, “oh? And dead is a pretty duh thing for ghosts. I know they probably would prefer to know. I’d rather them be more okay with ghosts first”, poking him a bit hard with his tail, “that’s were you come in. I’m just a teen so they don’t exactly listen to me on the whole ‘ghosts are sentient beings with fully aware thoughts and feelings, that are dynamic creatures’ thing. But you’re an accomplished intelligent adult friend. You won’t be so easily written off”. 

Lewis blinks and smiles softly, “you’re a sneaky one”, leaning back, enjoying the even slightly more relaxed conversation, “they basically switch who’s on the outside. Sometimes Eddie is, sometimes Vee is. That also switches who’s more naturally in control. Though really it’s more like they’re combining fully. Symbiotes take their hosts body and up grade it into an apex predator. Claws, big teeth, larger, stronger, faster, more durable, and So on. Each one’s different though. Some make whips or can turn their hands into giant blades. When they quote-unquote ‘combine’ they go by Venom, and have a hard time thinking as separate beings. Big, muscular, black body with white veins, white eyes, massive razor teeth upon teeth, claws, and an honestly ridiculously long tongue. They’re also venomous, hence the name”. 

Danny’s brain had nearly stalled at the whole black and white thing. Tilting his head, “black and white huh?”, before snorting and laughing. _Of course_ they had the same damn colours! Goddamnit, those were _his_ colours! 

Lewis is wondering why Danny cares about their colour pallet rather than the tongue thing. While Danny snorts again, “they got any accent colours by chance?”. 

Lewis squints at him, “okay, why is colour what you care about? Massive teeth and tongue? The tendrils?”, shaking his head and tapping his chin, “their tongue’s pink and sometimes their saliva is green. Tied into the venomous thing”. 

Danny looks at him slowly, “oh my Ancients. Those assholes. I knew I should have trademarked myself”, blinking some before snorting, “and the fucking comedic name”. That wasn’t even mentioning the similar powers.

Lewis blinks and raises his eyebrows, ‘comedic’ was not a word used to describe Venom. Well, okay, that wasn’t strictly true. The two could have a way with words, and some of the things they did could be pretty amusing. Chuckling, “they aren’t comic relief at all really. Most actually seem to agree they’re pretty damn terrifying as Venom. Papers even referring to them as a demon”, shaking his head but squinting at Danny, “I’m going to make a guess and say that your other form is black and white”. 

Danny looks around a bit awkwardly, it was a pretty sure thing that Lewis was pretty well gonna know _exactly _who Danny was. And really, Danny knew a ton about ‘Venom’ at this point. Would be kinda a dick move to not let good guy Lewis in on his shit and thusly these two fucking _cannibalistic_, Ancients that was still messed up, ‘superheroes’ as well. Okay, ‘superheroes’ was probably the wrong word. Even ‘vigilante’ was being a little nice. But when had Danny ever made things easy for people? Smirking at Lewis, “monochromatics are my favourite schematics”, titling his head, “wait, the news reports on them? So their city knows about them?”. 

Lewis is firmly sure that was a snide way to say yes. Though, he guesses, Danny full well knows Lewis knows that, based off the smirking anyway. He’s just playing a bit of a game. Tilting his head, and Danny’s eyes could glow green. So same accent colour, and there was something clearly toxic about ectoplasm. That’s similar enough to venomous. Nodding at Danny, “well I’m pretty sure the nineteenth century has the best claim on monochrome’s. So you’re a bit late there. But yeah, everyone knows about them. Most articles are about how they’re saved this person or that person. That, or it’s about the occasional unfinished meals. Which are usually viewed rather positively actually. Sorta seen as cleaning up the scum of the world. The other third are about them as a creature, because their look is more than a little startling. Most of the papers have taken to calling them either The San Fran Demon or The Lethal Protector. They do still get GooMan though, which they hate”. 

Danny had scrunched his face up in deep offence and looked like he had just walked in on an active murder scene, at the notion that this city was basically supporting and cheering for their local murderer. What the absolute fuck? And they _knew _about the _murdering_ and _eating_. And were still like, ‘yes, this pleases us. Do continue’. While Danny gets fucking chased around and attacked, even though the worst thing he can arguably be accused of was stealing and that wasn’t even willing! Scowling at the air, “that is so not fair. I’m nothing but a good boy and the fucking murder meat-grinder machines get more support and love. The fuck? I even look super friendly and have a proper civilians voice! But no! The serial killer gets more Cheerios Cheers. I get more cheers from fuckers successfully shooting me, then pulling some hero shit. Y’know? They fucking do polls on what fuckers think of me. Like half the town _hates _me. While their city is all like, ‘yes please sir, I’d like some gratuitous gore along side my buckets of blood fine wine. That would just go sooooo nicely. Because the best place to eat is where a beastial alien feasts, and sleep where lethal one’s beat and reap lives’. And my city’s all like, ‘fuck you kid! Stop getting your damn ectoplasm all over our nice roads, it’s hard to fucking drive! And stop breaking shit, you pearly packing bag of ghost shit. But totally thanks for stopping the Mecha from impaling my car and blowing up my work. Totally don’t care though. Because fuck you and all that you are, damn fucking spooks’. But fuck it, at least I have apparel”. 

Lewis is pretty sure half of that didn’t make much sense to him. But apparently Danny feels pretty damn under-appreciated. Which, yeah, if Venom is getting more praise than someone who doesn’t graphically and unabashedly murder and eat people, Danny’s pretty fair in feeling that way. Lewis is also a bit impressed and amused at Danny’s colourful language. He was definitely saving ‘murder meat-grinder machines’, Vee will _love _that. Lewis mutters, “they have apparel too actually. Teeth, tongue and eyes are pretty recognisable at this point”. 

Danny turns his head to him and scowls exaggeratedly, “how _dare_. So people parade around with a well known slaughter bunny on their chests? What is wrong with their city?!? And, wait, ‘GooMan’??? Oh man that’s _bad_, ha!”, Danny snorts and laughs, damn right they better have an embarrassing and horrible nickname, before shaking his head and scowling. “Goddamn Inviso-bill is still worse though”. 

Lewis restrains an amused smirk and laugh, that _was _pretty bad. Shrugging, “I mean, if you want a list, a few of the items on it would be mass poverty and one of the worst housing markets in the country. There’s a lot of disenfranchised folks. On the other hand, Amity seems pretty wealthy. So people are more privileged and entitled. Though yeah, I’m not entirely sure why so many support Venom. Nothing about their public image is appealing really”. 

Danny rolls his eyes and snorts, “Amity’s the most haunted city in the world, also got one of the highest rates for property damage, ghost drills are a real thing, and most crime is done by powerful asshole ghosts”, shrugging, “but I guess no one’s going up to Venom and giving them drawings”. 

Lewis laughs and blinks at that, “I think I would have a heart attack if someone did that. I think even Eddie might. Vee would just end up pestering Eddie about ‘strange flesh-bag customs’”. 

Danny smirks and shakes his head as Lewis’s pager goes off, “Ancients, Eddie must have explained so many things to them”. 

Lewis nods as he heads to the door, “oh yeah, but he loves it. So does Vee. Technically Vee could just go through all of Eddie’s thoughts and memories for answers. By they prefer Eddie explaining it personally”. 

Danny blinks and mutters to himself, “fuck that’s adorable”. 

* * *

Danny snorts as a few minutes later the door opens back up with his parents on the other side. Both hurry over to him as Lewis waves, “I do have, I’m still impressed you said that, meat-grinding to do. So I’ll check up on you later”, before hurrying off. 

Danny smiles at his parents, “how’s the house? Ghosts?”. 

Jack tilts his head as he sits down and bends over, “you know, it’s strange, there really hasn’t been any ghosts. Couple of ectopuss’s and other small things but that’s it”, chuckling, “it’s like they know someone special is hurt and are giving us space”. 

Danny does his damnedest not to cringe, knowing full well _why _there wasn’t much in the way of ghosts, nodding slightly, “good then I guess”. 

While Maddie pats his arm, “the house is perfectly fine sweetie. We fixed up a little hover board so you can get around the house easily”. 

Danny chuckles, of course they wouldn’t let him use anything normal... like a wheel chair. Which fine, stairs would be an issue then. Just flying himself up them would get more strange looks than walking on his hands would. 

Jack beams, “yup! That way you can reach everything easily and can go where you please! Working on a few other things as well but that’s nothing to worry your head over yet. You just keep being the strong kid we know you are”. 

Danny gives an awkward smile, “easier than pie”, is it weird that talking about freaking murderers was more ‘pleasant’ than this? Danny knows full well the other projects are probably legs. No way his folks were focusing on anything else. 

Maddie smirks and digs in her bag, “speaking of food. Thought you’d like something to spice things up from hospital food”. 

Danny smiles at the container of spaghetti, pretty darn sure there’s a little ectoplasm in it. Smells that way. But that’s fine and expected from Amity food, which he honestly missed. Since the place was his lair, everything changed ever so slightly to please him. Taste of food included. That fact used to freak him out, worrying he was changing people and controlling them, but it turns out it was all really minimal and seemingly only done to non-sentient things. Sure mosquitoes also left him alone, but that was more because ectoplasm was basically deadly to them and they could smell that it was so. Only one problem right now, he couldn’t just use his tail in front of them. Restraining a groan as his mom just starts loading a fork up. Pretty well having to let her feed him, which again, degrading. Which definitely bothered his ghostly pride. Seriously hoping no one else comes in. 

Thankfully it’s over with pretty quickly and Danny manages to shake off his slightly bothered and hurt ego. As his folks settle into telling town gossip. Apparently Ms. Trent accidentally blew up her garden, the Ravens won a game, a new cop transferred from New York of all places, and people representing companies working with the hospital kept showing up only to have the worst luck ever. 

Danny chuckles, listening to his mom talk about how a guy working with indoor lift services had five pots fall near him, doorknobs randomly locking when he went to open them, every cup of coffee he bought was mysteriously cold, and so on. Apparently his lair was having none of these random people implying Danny needed their help. Which definitely was both amusing and a slight ego boost. Smiling slightly, “glad things are as weird as ever then”, looking between them, “what’s Jazz up to though?”. 

Maddie smiles and pats Danny’s hair, “she’s talking with Mr. Lancer about your school work. Pretty sure she’s trying to get most of it waved”. 

Danny’s honestly thankful for that, he really had time to do school work as it was. Technically he had more time to do it right now though. Chances were Lancer wouldn’t wave much, just make things more simple or give him easy projects. Smirking slightly, “obviously gym’s being waved entirely”, looking around a little awkwardly as they both cringe slightly. Normally his folks bounced back from things petty quickly, but he guesses that something like this was a fair bit more than the normal bad crap that happened. Shifting to readjust his tail under him slightly, “I really am fine you know. Maybe I’ll go to gym just to freak people out”. Deciding to broach the topic himself so they don’t feel awkward, “good chance to show off and test out whatever you guys build me, I’d say. Not that I’ll actually be telling anyone though, just make everyone really confused”. 

Maddie and Jack look to each other, smiling slightly after a while. Normally Danny didn’t like their inventions, but this was a different situation. Maybe they could really impress him with this and give him the best damn legs ever. That was already the plan, but knowing he was seemingly okay with it was encouraging. Jack smiles warmly, “oh! They can be as impressive or covert as you want! We’ve got a few plans actually!”, shifting a little uncomfortable and hoping this doesn’t bother Danny, “if you’d like to see them any way?”. 

Danny nods with a soft smile, what they built really was interesting and he could arguably build with them. One of the side affects of protecting his ghostly ass was having a very intimate knowledge of how their inventions worked. The only reason they didn’t know that was because half the stuff hurt or reacted to him. It doing that while around his folks risked his secret. So it was better to just not be around it at all. 

Maddie speaking, “are you looking to hide them though sweetie?”, as Jack tries to not seem too excited about pulling out one of their little work tablets with schematics and ideas in it. 

Danny nods, “heh, yeah. I’d prefer this not really be public knowledge. You know I don’t like being fretted over or pitied. People knowing would basically ensure I would be. At the very least I’d like things to go back to normal for a while before anyone realises. So if this could maybe not be town gossip, that’d be nice”. Before looking over at the tablet, snorting at the kind of ridiculous look of the first one, “a little more subtle dad”. 

Maddie comes to stand beside Jack, so it’s easier to see the screen. It’s not too surprising Danny wants to treat the...new legs, as if they were just his regular ones. Internally smirking over being very right when she told Jack that Danny definitely didn’t want weaponised ones. Watching as he flips to the one that was weaponised where Jack had gotten a bit to excited over ideas. Danny, glaring at it and Jack slightly, simply saying, “nope”. Arguably weaponised legs could be useful but they could also attack _him_. 

Jack makes a point to not seem disappointed. Switching to one of Maddie’s more sleek designs, though very colourful; in FentonWorks trade marked greys and ecto green. 

Maddie smiles and ruffles Danny’s hair, “I was tempted to go with whites and black, plus the green. Based on that jumpsuit we made for you years ago. But, well, Phantom”. Making a point to not think about the strange ghost as he wasn’t important right now. Even if he had been acting kind of strange lately. 

Danny chuckles awkwardly, “I definitely prefer the skinnier option, actually matches me some”, aiming to make them feel a bit better, “would be much easier to adjust to”, smirking a little now, “I’d be down for the feet being black. Dark grey maybe. Stick with the more muted tones. Paler green. Cause no offence, but neon might show through if my pants get wet or something”. 

Jack blinks, exchanging a glance with Maddie, neither having really considered that. Or how it would all look under clothing. More focused on making them actually work, how they’d attach them and trying to figure out a way to get some kind of nervous system in them. It was good they had something to work off of, due to their old battle-suit design. At least Danny’s contamination made for an easy self-replenishing power source. 

Jack jotting down some notes about colour alterations and making everything look slightly more defined. A lean rather than skinny or bulky design. 

Danny chuckles at the little notes, both surprised and not, that they were taking what he was actually okay with into account. He’d almost feel bad about wasting their time if his legs grew back, but they _loved _inventing. Any inspiration was welcome, well okay, they’d probably prefer to not have this particular reason for inspiration. Reading over the next screen with inner workings all over it. Firmly surprised most didn’t seem to have much in the way of ghost related anything. Smirking, “besides the ectoplasmic power source, this is pretty not ghost. You guys okay?”. Even the toaster was more ghost oriented than most of these plans. 

Maddie smiles, “ghosts aren’t the focus and we know you don’t exactly like all the anti-ghost stuff. Ectoplasm is just an amazing power source and you do have your own supply”. 

Jack perks up, “Dan’s been pretty good about that actually! Really rolling with it!”.

Danny struggles to force down his cringe at that. Of course his folks were going to use his first name, and Danny couldn’t exactly explain to them why they shouldn’t. But again, maybe this might be good for him. Hopefully. Forcefully chuckling, “seems really good at rolling with just about any level of weird”, tilting his head at the screen, “won’t use up too much plasm, will it?”. Danny would rather not be weakened by whatever they wind up making. 

Maddie shakes her head, “there’s not much to power in most designs so your....ectoplasm, will be fine”, Maddie’s not sure what’s caused Danny to become fond of that stuff in him. But he was seemingly stuck with it, so it was probably for the best. By the same notion, he was just so...okay, with his injuries. What’s he’s...lost. But he was tough and a Fenton, so it made sense to a level. 

Danny nods with a little smile, “good, that’s good”, smirking a little, “as for the design, maybe we could slap a Fenton symbol on an ass cheek. You know, placement”. 

Maddie and Jack blink before laughing. While Danny just gives a wide grin. 

Not too long later, Maddie and Jack have ran out of things to catch Danny up on; devolving into talking about some pretty minimal things. Well until, Maddie shakes her head at her phone screen, “Phantom sure has been doing some strange things. There’s a video of him doing poses around a billboard”. 

Jack chuckles, “think he’s bored? No ghosts to fight”.

Maddie frowns, genuinely worried about that. Clearly Phantom had some kind of Obsession tied to fighting. Sure he usually seemed to take it out in a helpful way. But ghosts were bad by default, it wouldn’t take much for him to revert to doing bad for his Obsession. 

Danny blinks, highly confused, “Phantom? Huh?”, that doesn’t even make sense. He wasn’t even in Amity. Clone maybe? But why? Vlad gave up on that. Maddie turns the phone to him and it takes all Danny’s restraint to not facepalm or tailpalm at seeing the red eyes and how ‘Phantom’ is holding himself. Fucking Amorpho. _Why_? Was he literally covering for Danny so people wouldn’t realise Phantom disappeared the same time as Fenton? Part of Danny wants to say that’s giving the ghost too much credit. But it took a level of intellect to effectively pretend to be someone else, especially many different people. The guy was just a little reckless, liked the spot light a little too much. Plus ClockWork was in town, who knows what they’ve gotten up to. Smirking slightly to himself, well Amorpho would be getting that attention and Obsession satisfaction in a big way. Parading around as him, pretty well the most famous, or infamous, ghost in the Mortal Realm. It satisfied him a bit to know that. Shaking his head at the screen, “well okay then. That’s one way to get some attention”. 

Maddie tilts her head and blinks. Could that be it? Fighting ghosts did get Phantom a lot of attention. Shaking her head and checking the time. It was getting pretty late. Ruffling Danny’s hair as she pats Jack’s shoulder, “well regardless, it’s late. We should get going”. 

Jack nods almost eagerly, “yes! Plenty of work to do!”, smiling at Danny, “gotta make sure we get things just right after all. None of these plans will actually work yet, but! They will!”, patting Danny’s arm cast with very noticeable gentleness, “and you best rest”. 

Danny chuckles and smiles, he was getting way more rest than he was honestly used to and it was, frankly, really damn weird. He never thought he actively _wouldn’t _want yet another full nights rest. He wanted to get woken up at one a.m. for some ghostly bullshit or another. Which pretty well just guarantees he won’t be sticking around tonight. “You two better sleep yourselves. I know how absorbed and excitable you can get”, looking at the tablet as Jack puts it away, ”what’s not working with them though?”. 

Jack waves him off, “nothing for you to worry about Danny-boy. Just figuring out wiring and weighting”. 

Danny nods, “makes sense I guess. See you later”, as they wave at him, before walking out the door. 

Danny waits for a bit before curling out his tail and waving it erratically just to let it really move. Sighing and looking at the dark sky, clear bright stars basically singing his name. Looking at the door before muttering, “fuck it. I’m out bitches”, duplicating from his tail to avoid messing up the casts and bandagings. 

Danny smirks at the duplicate as he floats and stretches out, “oh fuck yes, I needed this”, pausing and smirking at the original Danny. Both speaking in unison, “we needed this”, and laughing. 

Original Danny smirks and pokes his duplicate with his tail, “now you better go fly you lucky idiot”, snorting and looking at the duplicates ghostly tail, “fucking should have figured you wouldn’t have legs”. 

Duplicate Danny finger gunning, “wiggle boys”, before turning invisible and intangible, flying out the window. 

Original Danny closing his eyes and just enjoying the sky through his duplicate. Spinning and diving around street lamps, occasionally bopping them with his tail and giggling. Having ‘races’ against random cars and soaring slowly through night air. Tracing out patterns of stars and scaring the crap out of a few birds. 

Looking down, seeing a lady dropping her wallet without noticing. Shaking his head and flying down. Subtly returning it to her purse and smiling slightly. Deciding to wind through the streets doing whatever little good deeds he could. Which there wasn’t exactly very many. This city was quiet. Which for flying was great, for helping, not so much. But it still left him with a squishy satisfied feeling. Ectoplasm singing in his originals veins as the duplicate floats back up slowly. Smirking and deciding to just gun it straight up. Stopping slowly as he breaches earths atmosphere. It truly was a wonder when he discovered it was safe for him to just be in _space_. Just exist outside of earth with nothing but stars and planets in every direction. Letting himself spin in a slow circle, giggling and gradually speeding up until everything’s a blur of colourful and starlight streaks. 

Chuckling and letting himself fall back towards earth, letting gravity grab him as he renters; watching the stars as he goes and defying gravity once more at the last second. Getting slammed with the adrenaline and endorphins, doing that always granted him. It was better than any battle and didn’t have the bite of ‘need to win’ and inevitable injuries. 

Laughing as he slowly drifts to lay on a roof top and watch the stars above him. Looking at and flipping over his human looking hands. Guess it was easy to fly and float with a tail regardless of form. And feeling the air on bare skin was kind of nice. His jumpsuit really did block out a lot. Tilting his head down to stare at the flesh coloured tail, “yeah that looks fucking wrong”. Shaking his head and transforming just the tail, sending a ring down across it and smirking at the black wiggling thing; before leaning his head back again. Partial transformation had been a nice skill to pick up. Really he always had it, just took time to master it. Normally he used it to just be unnecessarily flashy about his transformations. But right now, well, black was his colour; or one of them anyway. Blinking at the sky, fucking Venom. Black and white. Fucking stealing his shit. Probably not literally. Tilting his head, “I’ll have to ask about that. Did they pick their colours?”. Shaking his head some and yawning. Okay, time to head back. Technically he could just send away this duplicate but flying back was far nicer. Plus, he’d get to really look himself over that way. 

Slipping in the window and floating to look down at himself from the angle a visitor would get. “Ancients this looks both sad and so much worse than I figured”. Floating around the bed and giving his original a little wave. Which both of them chuckle over. But both abruptly stop and snap their heads over to the door to see a gaping Lewis. 

Duplicate Danny quirks his mouth up into an awkward half smile, “uhhhhhh, what’s up doc?”. 

Lewis’s brain is firmly stalling, there is _two _of his patient. One just sort of standing....okay floating, next to the bed. Both looking suitably shocked and like he just caught him? Them? What? with an adult magazine or something. The one doesn’t even have any bandaging or _anything _actually. So technically, that one? is naked. Officially worried he’s sleeping, Lewis turns around and walks out of the room. Loudly shutting the door. 

The two Danny’s look at each other. Worried he officially weirded out Lewis. He can’t decide between being proud over accomplishing that or worried about being a startling freaky bastard. Lewis probably came from a long surgery or something. So Danny settles with the duplicate having a look of worry and the original wearing an amused smirk. While Lewis opens the door and comes back in. 

Lewis looks between the two again, alright not asleep or dreaming. Danny’s, one of the Danny’s?, greeting finally catching up with his brain as he finally engages the clutch in his mind properly. Levelling, them?, with an unimpressed glare, “don’t you ‘what’s up doc’ me. You’ve already used up your one allowance with that today”, pointing between the two, “what am I looking at here?”. He’d really also like to know how. 

The Danny’s look to each other, pretty damn well caught, so both shrug and look back to Lewis. Original Danny speaking, “so I might, _might_, have powers-”. 

Lewis blinks and cuts him off, “‘might’ my ass”. Making both Danny’s snort and laugh. Lewis follows with his eyes as one Danny floats to sit on the foot of the bed. Noticing now that this one has a _black _ghost tail. Well the transparency makes it seem more grey than black, but he’s sure it’s black. This Danny looks slightly worried, “you okay though?”, the one in the bed snickering, “have I truly freaked you out yet”. 

Lewis blinks, “it’s not the weirdest thing. But that thing you’re not old enough to be hearing about”. 

Both Danny’s pull exaggerated disgusted faces, not needing any kind of details, considering he knows of a certain someone with ‘tendrils’. Both Danny’s shake their heads almost aggressively, both speaking, “nope! Don’t wanna hear ‘bout that!”. 

Lewis screws up his face some. This was...a little bit beyond strange. Part of him wanted to say ‘nope’ to this. Whatever this was. But the other part is _interested_. _Insanely interested. _How could someone have two bodies? How are they formed? Is he fully aware of both at the same time? Where’d all the extra mass to make a _whole new body_ come from? Why’s the tail different? _Why’d he even make a second of himself_? Lewis knew full well Vee could make multiple heads, but they were just made of goo really. Not flesh, and bone, and brain matter, and blood, and organs, and nervous systems. And they firmly _could not _make a separate fully functioning body. At least if the legless plus tail thing counted as fully functional. Lewis blinks, “what?”. 

The Danny’s exchange a glance, the bed one speaking, “you okay? Like, seriously?”. 

Lewis nods and actually walks forward, feeling slightly stiff, “yeah, yes. Just a little...confused? How? What? Why? When? Who? Where?”. 

Duplicate Danny snorts, “making a checklist huh? The how’s straight forward enough”. Original Danny nodding, “yup, ectoplasm can multiply its size or shrink it at will. Replication. Duplication. Duplication is also the ‘what’. The...power”. 

Lewis looks between them, duplication was pretty damn well on the nose. So he quite literally replicated his entire body. While the Danny sitting on the edge of the bed, which Lewis is guessing is the duplicate, continues on speaking, “‘when’ is, like, two hours ago. Where is here, obviously. Why’d you even ask that? Who is also kinda duh. Both Danny’s are Danny. The duplicate, me, is just a bunch of ectoplasm though. No organs or shit”. 

Bedridden Danny whacking the other in the side of the head with his tail, “so I can pretty well dissolve this fucker whenever I feel like it”, chuckling awkwardly, “was about to do that before you showed”. 

Lewis walks in front of the confirmed duplicate and looks it up and down, “for a, and I quote, ‘bunch of ectoplasm’, you look pretty damn much like a complete replica down to the bones”. 

Duplicate Danny rolls his eyes, “course. Looking exactly the same is the point. Ghosts can do that it and do it to confuse and make it extremely difficult to pin down their original body”.

Lewis nods, made sense, before poking the duplicates cheek. Feeling the same as skin. Shaking his head and looking at his fingers, “so why then?”. 

Bed Danny, original Danny, snorts, “Lewis dude, I have been confined to a bed for days. Why the Zone do you think? So I could stretch out and move around”. 

Lewis nods, “so you can feel and see and everything through both”. 

Both Danny’s nod, “yup. Real body is just more defined, sharper”. Duplicate Danny puts his hands behind his head and looks out the window, “went out the window, wandered the town, was...helpful, got into some car races, space happened”. 

Lewis puts up a hand, “wait what? How did you do _any _of that?”. It’s certainly good he got the Obsession dealt with, because again, dealing with him freaking out over that more and more would be _annoying_. And not something he can really do much of anything about. But the rest? Confusing. Well actually, intangibility probably explained how he got out, and right, he _had _been floating earlier. The tail definitely didn’t follow gravity so maybe it let him functionally fly? Well at least he didn’t scale the building, positives. Screwing up his face, “wait, am I going to hear reports of a kid with a tail floating around?”.

The Danny’s exchange a glance again, fuck it at this point. Probably the only thing weirder Lewis could have walked in on, would be some body manipulation body horror shit. Or maybe overshadowing? That ability was probably really confusing and messed up to others. But then again, Vee basically was constantly ‘overshadowing’ Eddie, so Lewis might actually be excited about that. Turning both Danny’s heads to Lewis and smirking, before turning both invisible. 

Lewis blinks before chuckling, sneaky, “well, that’s useful”, shaking his head as they both reappear, “just how much can you do?”. 

Duplicate Danny looks down at his tail as it curls and wiggles around, “minus the, _goddamn tendrils_, well and I’m not venomous. Okay I guess that depends on how you look at the whole ectoplasm is corrosive and toxic thing”, shaking his head, “same shit as your friends and more”. 

Bed Danny chuckles, “ghosts are apex predators after all”. 

Lewis nods and taps his chin, eyeing the second Danny. So basically they, he, was possibly actually stronger than Venom. He already knew Danny was unusually strong, so he was just enhanced in general _and _had powers on top of it. Tilting his head, “that still doesn’t explain you implying you just randomly went to space. Clearly you’re not in any pain and I’m guessing you have healed everything but the legs at this point? So leaving is arguably fine”. 

Bed Danny smiles wistfully while duplicate Danny floats up and flips upside down in the air to float near the ceiling. Lewis following with his eyes. Oh yes, this was _very _weird. But he couldn’t help but notice that both looked very content, and the tails were both wiggling softly. So obviously this floating/flying was rather common place and possibly deeply enjoyed by Danny. 

Duplicate Danny speaking, “not really a high limit to flying. So just-”, motioning with his hands, “-went up. I can nullify gravity around myself so the lack of gravity in space isn’t even noticeable. Don’t exactly need to breath. Ectoplasm protects my blood. Cold doesn’t bother me in the slightest. So it’s safe. Which is just, like, so great. Cause space yeah? Never go far away though. ‘Cause earths home and that would leave it unprotected and that’s just not okay”. 

Lewis nods up at the duplicate on the ceiling, “of course”, smirking slightly, “I almost feel bad for Vee. The questions you’re going to ask”, shaking his head at the new smirk on Danny’s face, pointing at the black tail, “why’s this one’s tail different?”. 

Duplicate Danny grumbles slightly, transforms his tail back ‘human’ and gestures exaggeratedly at it, “because this just looks _wrong_”, and transforming it back. 

Lewis honestly agrees but he’s more focused on that light ring thing. Very bright, looks about the same colour as Danny’s core. “The ring?”. 

Lewis watches as the duplicate Danny floats down from the ceiling and sits back on the bed. Before seemingly getting absorbed into bed Danny’s tail. Lewis shakes his head at that while Danny speaks, “the rings basically how I shape-shift. It’s made of Core ectoplasm. And before you ask, duplication is kind of annoying and tiring to maintain. Also, yeah I’m healed up. Well, except for one thing anyway”, Danny looks down to were his tail is wiggling under the sheets, “now clue how exactly that’s going to heal though”, shrugging and looking back up to Lewis, “losing organs is pretty habitual, limbs not so much”. 

Lewis coughs at that, Danny made a _habit _of losing internal organs? Did he just not need any of them? Clearly, like Vee, Danny’s body defied logic and the basic rules of the universe. Lewis clears his throat and sits down, “well, they are growing back. At least a little. Which, thanks to Vee, Eddie can do too. I’ll make a guess, that if you let your healing do it’s thing, they’d grow back for sure”, shaking his head, “totally ruined all my work”. 

Danny huffs, he’s not truly surprised but to know, for sure, was, well, it was a problem. Because that meant he couldn’t just ignore it anymore. He actually had to _address_ the _issue_. He hated when he had to do that. Hitting stuff was so much easier and enjoyable. Sleeping was nice too, maybe going and hanging out at the mall. Firmly ignoring the problem was so much more appealing. Grumbling, “I hate problems I can’t hit”. 

Lewis blinks, pretty sure Eddie had said that once. Shaking his head, “are you...bothered by that? Most people would rather _have _their legs”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “and how the fuck am I supposed to explain that? People don’t _regrow legs_ Lewis”. 

Lewis shrugs, “blame your ectoplasm?”.

Danny gives him some seriously unimpressed eyebrows, “there _is _a limit to what they’ll buy. Me setting off detectors is one thing, messing with my vitals was pushing it, changing how I heal to such a level is way beyond believable”, Danny points his tail at Lewis as the guy shrugs, “whether _you _think it’s believable doesn’t matter. You’re too weird to say what normal people would find reasonable”. 

Lewis dips his head, it was a fair point. But Jack and Maddie were pretty weird themselves. But they were ghost ‘experts’, apparently they were missing an awful lot though. “I’ll give you that. Guess you’re just hiding it then”. 

Danny snorts, “duh. Could probably, hmmm, like, just, no. Well, could block the healing forever?”. 

“Kid, _no_”. 

Danny grumbles, “stupid doctor and his stupid desire for people to actually heal their shit”.

Lewis shakes his head and sighs slightly, Danny was willing to just intentionally not have legs to keep his secrets and avoid solving a problem. That was a bit ridiculous. Pointing almost aggressively at Danny, “you're healing your legs”. 

Danny grumbles a bit petulantly, “you can’t make me”.

Lewis gives him a seriously unimpressed look and points at the, unattached, medicine bag, “over producing your ectoplasm makes you do more ghostly stuff. I’d guess to say that would include your healing”. 

Danny squints his eyes at him, “good luck getting that in me. Intangibility”. 

Lewis smirks and leans back in his chair, “I’m head surgeon for a reason. I have my ways”. If he had to gas Danny’s room just so he’d actually let his body heal, he would. Because this is just absurd. He doesn’t let Eddie and Vee get away with this level of problem avoidance, he’s not tolerating it from Danny either. Besides, convincing, or occasionally forcing, people into needed medical treatments was technically part of his job. Sure if Danny wanted to hide it from his folks, whatever, thats his prerogative. 

Danny and Lewis stare at each for a beat, Danny sighing and leaning his head back, “dick”, sighing again, “but I guess I could, maybe, let them heal over night at home. And just, I don’t fucking know, pass them off as robotic legs? But knowing my folks they’d want to run ‘diagnostics’ which would be a _problem_”. 

Lewis shakes his head and gets up, patting where the tail is, “you’ll figure it out”, smirking at him, “I’m sure you haven’t kept this part ghosts thing a secret for however long without being good at bullshitting”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “they can be pretty oblivious”.

“And you’re very paranoid”. 

Danny snorts as Lewis heads to the door, “rightfully so”. 

Lewis chuckles, “well you think on it, see you-”, Lewis pauses and mentally slaps himself. Right, he came here for a reason. Turning back around, Danny raising an eyebrow at him. Lewis asking, “so can I tell my friends more about you?”.

Danny chuckles, “would be kind of a dick move to say no. And while they sound kind of like a mess, it doesn’t exactly sound like they have anyone they even could tell. But”, Danny smirks which is why Lewis isn’t really worried, as Danny continues, “don't give them the Fenton name. It’s”, chuckling, “its Phantom, Danny Phantom. See if they can make the connection”. 

Lewis smiles slightly, of course he had his own name for his other form. Even if Lewis still didn’t know what it looked like. Tilting his head as he realises something, “wait, that’s a pun and rhymes with Fenton...”, squinting at Danny, “wait, you use your _real first name? In both forms?_ That is, that is incredibly stupid and reckless. _How doesn’t everyone know_?”. 

Danny snickers with a shit-eating grin, “‘cause being a halfa is supposedly impossible. No one questions the impossible. No one has figured it out yet. Not a one. Sam and Tuck know because they were there when the whole dying thing happened. And Jazz, I literally transformed directly in front of her face. And even then she only believed what she saw because she’s arguably weird too. I absolutely have frequently transformed in the middle of the day, in the middle of massive crowds. People are _blind_. The only ones who see and easily accept the exceptionally strange are people who are strange themselves. Everyone else sees a trick of the light, a sleep deprivation induced hallucination, a wild conspiracy theory”, flicking out his tail and rolling it around in the air, “my other form, looks hardly any different. Venom sounds pretty different. I just glow and get a colour pallet change. And yet, even if Fenton and Phantom stand side by side, no one clues in. Not even my folks”. 

Lewis blinks as one of those rings passes over Danny’s head. Leaving green eyes, white hair and glowing skin. That’s it. Nothing else. Sure the glow distorts him a fair bit, blurs his features. But still......Danny chuckles and it echos. Speaking and that echos too, “and you’re damn right Phantom’s a ghost pun. The big DP. But the real irony? The girl who has a shrine to Phantom and claims to be his future wife? has actively rejected Fenton. The guy who claims to be Phantom’s biggest fan and runs the fan club? the biggest bully in school and guess who his favourite target is? Fenton. And literally every single ghost knows Phantom is Fenton. Irony, lots of irony”. 

Lewis looks to and blinks at the door, then back at Danny, “that is almost impressively ridiculous, but I guess you are right. Alive and dead is logically impossible”. Probably says a lot that Lewis didn’t question that much at all. 

Danny chuckles, “speaking of colour palettes. Why are they the colours they are? I’m literally just an inversion, the other side of the coin, the flip of my living form”. 

“They were born that way. Vee was. Symbiotes can be born pretty much any colour or even combinations”. 

Danny shakes his head, “guess I can’t be pissy they have my colours then”. 

Lewis just shakes his head and waves as he heads out the door. Eddie and Vee were either going to love this kid...or hate him. 

* * *

Danny smiles and wiggles into the sheets some, changing his head back to Fenton and yawning again. Might as well get some sleep. Tail curling up around himself and snuggling it under his chin. This was kind of nice actually. Officially feeling like he’s been under appreciating his ghostly tail and yawning again. 

On the verge of falling asleep only to jerk from the window clattering to the ground. Grumbling, “okay I know I asked for this, but what damn time even is it?”. 

“About two. Um, I’m not good at this crap”, Danny tilts his head up at Val’s voice and goes wide-eyed, jaw dropping slightly. She was in suit and just deactivated her helmet. _Why?????_

Danny uncoils his tail from himself and emphatically points it at her, “Val, what the fuck? This-”, gesturing his tail up and down her, “-is not how you do a reveal”, tilting his head and laughing slightly, “I mean, props for dramatics I guess. But Zone, you don’t break the ice by shattering it into a million pieces. That’s how you drown”. 

Val/Red walks over to him with a raised eyebrow, “are you...are you seriously giving me shit for _how _I told you? Danny, I, Zone. You have messed up priorities”. 

“I’m a secretive bastard. I take personal offence to this level of a crappy dramatic reveal. No high stakes. No getting caught red handed doing something highly questionable. No awkward explanations. No little by little hints. No chances for complete escalating misunderstandings. Nothing. You didn’t even _try_. Where’s the respect for secret identities? No panache, no style, no glamour. I expected better from my girlfriend. Try again”. 

Valerie sputters and just bends over laughing. Wheezing as she pulls herself into a chair and leans on the railing. Shaking her head at him before bursting out into laughter again. Wheezing, “I really can’t believe you! Zone Danny! I prefer tearing off the bandaid not plucking it off slowly and painfully. And...and are you seriously asking me to just...pretend? you don’t know and do a take two? Seriously?”. Valerie snorts and starts laugh again. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “the drawn out painful agony is half the pleasure. Unless you’re revealing a shit ton. Then tearing off multiple bandaids in rapid succession is a fantastic way to confuse and startle”, poking Val, “and more like take three. I’ve know for years”. 

Valerie jerks up, “_WHAT!!!!!”_.

Danny laughs and points at her with his tail, “see that’s how you do a dramatic reveal. Timing matters, two a.m. is horrible timing. Wait till the tension is high, not when one bastard is half asleep. Throw some disarming humour in, which at least you dropped the window so you tried. Make it relevant, don’t just pull it out of the damn blue. Show off a little, you didn’t even whip out the suit in front of me. Failing that be utterly underwhelming, you could have done that but no, you still acted like this was some big thing. Shoulda just sat down and acted like this was totally normal if you didn’t want to be showy. Have some pride for Zone’s sake. _Presentation _Val, _presentation_”. 

Valerie blinks at him, “I’m still stalled at the fact that you _knew_”.

Danny points his tail in her face and smirks, “that’s because I have style. Had impact and presence to the words. I give myself a solid seven out of ten. But you? Two, maybe three. And only because you semi revealed yourself earlier, and dropped the window”.

“Oh my Zone Danny”, standing up and sending away her suit. Doing a silly twirl and summoning it back, “fucking happy you damn idiot? Now what do you mean you _knew_”. 

Danny snorts, “you know I pay attention to shit. Your first suit didn’t alter your voice Val. It was _obvious_. And in case it isn’t brutally obvious, I’m a little bit ghostly. Which is also obviously why and how my body was even able to form a ghostly tail. I have _damn _good hearing”. Honestly, why the Zone didn’t her first one have voice modification? Even Sam could tell it was her. Danny expected better from Vlad. 

Valerie looks down at herself, “oh my Zone”. 

Danny shrugs and pats her shoulder with his tail, “but I’ll give you points for startling me. That’s pretty hard to do. Now care to redeem yourself a little by awkwardly and painfully explaining things?”. Sure Danny hates doing that himself but that was exactly why he enjoyed others having to suffer through the same. 

Valerie hits him, “what would even be the point of that? You already know?!?”.

“To humour your boyfriend?”.

Valerie bangs her forehead on the railing, “I have regrets”.

“With how horrible of a reveal that was, I bet you do”. 

She lifts up her head and glares at him, hitting him again, “Zone you are a complete idiot”, shaking her head, “but yeah, I’m the Red Huntress and apparently severely underestimated the kid of two ghost hunters”, blinking and laughing lightly, “oh of course the son of ghost hunters would recognise a new hunter”, resting her head on the rail and laughing. 

While Danny just smirks and pats her back. 

Eventually she calms down and yawns. Which makes Danny screw up his face and yawn, “damn you, you stupid hunter”. 

She yawns again, muttering tiredly, “screw you, you stupid Spook...sorta Spook”. Danny just nods and curls his tail around himself again. Quickly falling asleep. 

* * *

Meanwhile, Lewis decides Danny’s outed himself enough that it would be perfectly fine for him to google him. Typing ‘Danny Phantom’ into the search bar and getting seriously thrown. There were _thousands _of pictures of him. Just in full view. Good definition even. Danny wasn’t even trying to hide. 

Most of the images are action shots, with him either fighting or getting injured. The sheer amount of images featuring injuries is alarming actually. Danny wasn’t kidding about getting hurt constantly. But it also made a bit more sense why people didn’t realise it was him. In every single picture, Phantom practically bled confidence and power. Every stance was bold, chest was full and proud. Goofy smirks and exaggerated motions. And the blur affect his glow had was much more extreme in photos. 

The rest of the images were him signing things, carrying people to safety or waving. It was clear he was a people person. And there was something about it that made Danny seem like something above everyone, and not just literally. _He looked like a hero._ Of course no one thought he was some Highschool teen. And honestly, Danny’s right. No one would want to know a teen was getting this battered and being their hero. Doing what they couldn’t. Sometimes people didn’t like being friends with doctors or other high skill jobs for the same reason. 

Clicking on some videos and pretty well getting bombarded by Danny getting injured, endless amounts of jokes -mostly puns-, and what he assumes is what Danny meant by ‘civilians voice’. All of it was both concerning and impressive. Even beaten up he stood -floated- commanding and assuring to people. The ‘civilians voice’ especially, made him seem like a wildly different person. A leader standing on a podium, to be listen to and not questioned. 

Which makes him lean back and realise something. People seeing Phantom, Phantoms ‘persona’, was at least half of how Danny kept his secret. And he damn well knew it. Otherwise he wouldn’t bother with the voice. Over all, he seemed different from the Danny he knew but he could see Phantom’s ‘persona’ in his patient. The jokes, the carefree disregard of injuries, the dramatics. 

Chuckling over Phantom’s outfit then, black and white indeed. But much more contrast and style. It really was a costume or suit, rather than just his body. Squinting at the chest symbol and sighing as he realises it was a flaming D with a P inside it. Jokes to every single thing. Though didn’t Danny say that his entire look as Phantom was just colour inversion of how he looked when he partly died? What the Hell was he wearing?

Lewis tilts his head and blinks, really looking at the outfit. It was a jumpsuit, like what Jack and Maddie wear. He’s a sort of ghost, hunting ghosts, wearing a ghost hunter jumpsuit. Lewis snorts, Danny probably got a kick out of that. Still didn’t explain the symbol though. 

Turning his head to his wife as she wakes up with a yawn, “what are you doing?”. 

“Satisfying curiosities, Anne dear”. 

Anne smiles and sits up, stretching in her always controlled way. Looking at the computer, “is that a floating superhero?”. 

Lewis chuckles, one look and it was clear Phantom was a superhero. One look at Venom and most think villain or monster, “that”, pointing at the screen, “is my patient”. 

Anne shakes her head, “Eddie is going to be so far out of his depth”. 

Lewis shakes his head, “no I don’t think so. Not too much anyway. This kids just built up a very showy persona. He’s more civilian, I guess, in person”. 

Playing a video where Phantom is flying practically chest first at some robot and punches it with dramatic flair and a poster worthy smile. Lewis’s shakes his head, imagining Venom doing this would be ridiculous. They were definitely more of an ‘in the shadows and the dead of night’ vigilante. 

Anne gets up and heads to the bathroom, so Lewis pulls out his phone and Google’s ‘Danny Fenton’. Not surprised there’s way less results. But instantly thrown by the images. This was a wildly different Danny. Perpetually slouching, head held somewhat low, eyes large and childish yet seemingly filled with caution, walking with shuffling feet and hands in his pockets. Only seemingly smiling at his friends and only laughing with them. The clothing too was so different, baggy and oversized. 

Flipping to videos, there’s barely any. One of him dancing goofily, him getting bullied, awkwardly reading out assignments. This..._was another persona._ He could see some of this Fenton in Danny. The occasional awkwardness, not wanting to impose on others. But Phantom seemed more close to the Danny he knew. Danny was playing two different roles. Just to hide. 

Shaking his head and comparing photos of the two forms. Yeah, this explains a lot. Sleek, fit, cocky, in charge. Scrawny, push over, cautious. One dominated and owned every scene he was in. One faded into the background and seemingly shrunk down in every scene, even if he was the focal point or the only one. It was almost jarring to know they were the same. 

Closing the screens, Venom still behaved like Eddie and Vee. If you knew them it was a bit obvious. Eddie’s desire to help and fearlessness to charge into any situation. Vee’s threatening demeanour and occasional wit. Even not all Venom they were still explicitly Eddie and Vee. Even if both of them had changed in behaviour and personality since achieving symbiosis. Of course they had though. Just like being part ghost obviously changed Danny. 

But Danny, he didn’t seem to be the real him, _ever_. In normal or public life anyway. Probably only those who knew, saw the real Danny. The amount of self-control that would take, for someone who’s seemingly a bit of a mess. He just _lets _himself be a mess. So Lewis guesses, it would probably be easy to feel bad for Danny too. A kid in two masks constantly getting battered in both. Who died partly and painfully, yet uses it to help but gets hurt in return. 

Eddie and Vee are complete messes and morally corrupt. Danny is morally gold and strict resolution.

Guess that’s the difference between a vigilante and a hero, self-control and public image. 


	4. The Government Is Firmly Not Doctor Prescribed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny is annoyed but not surprised, Lewis is impressed but not surprised, Valerie is just surprised; but everyone’s a little confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ectober 2019 Day 9: Rain

Lewis pushes open Danny’s door around seven a.m., two coffees hugged to his chest and bags slung over his shoulder. He’s pretty sure Danny has a bit of a caffeine addiction. Putting one cup on the table before pausing and looking down, there was a pair of legs in red boots laying on the ground. The first place his mind goes is ‘goddamnit Vee, don’t leave out corpses’, but this is Danny. So that is definitely not a dead body, or part of one.

Depositing the bags to the side before walking around the bed to see who they’re attached to, seeing someone -clearly a girl- in a full-body metal ninja suit. Kicking at her feet, because really? Who? Why? Only for her to jerk awake, take one look at him and _jump out the window. _

Lewis blinks for a second before walking over to the window and watching whoever fly off on a hover-board? Shaking his head and looking at Danny, was he friendly with another hero type? Lewis tilts his head, well actually, he had seen her in a few videos...usually shooting at ghosts, including Phantom. So was she actually here on friendly terms or did Danny just knock her out....and then fall asleep himself. Which even Eddie isn’t enough of a reckless trash-fire to do. 

Deciding not to wake up Danny near his hands, he’d rather not make his bruising worse or bruise the other wrist, he pokes at the tail through the sheets. Only for Danny to effectively ensure Lewis is very awake by his tail wrapping around Lewis’s torso and slamming him into the bed; which is honestly more painful than expected from a somewhat soft bed. 

Danny growls for a beat before recognising Lewis’s scent and letting go of the guy, chuckling awkwardly, “sorry ‘bout that”. Watching as Lewis straightens his doctors' coat before waving Danny off, “at least you didn’t break a cast this time. Though I absolutely did wake you up near your tail to _avoid_ getting attacked”. 

Danny chuckles, “waking me up without me being full attack mode is a pointless task. At least half my fights start with me being awoken suddenly”, grumbling, “really does a number to my sleep schedule”. 

Lewis chuckles, “ghosts and criminals, things of the night”, before pointing at the floor where the girl had been, “now, why was there an unconscious ghost hunter in red on the floor? I’m only guessing she’s a hunter because every video with her has her chasing ghosts”, pointing at Danny, “including you”. 

Danny glances at the window, part of it still laying on the ground, before shaking his head, “she came and said hi, we’re friendly. Everyone calls her the Red Huntress”. 

Lewis snorts and shakes his head, she sure didn’t seem friendly from what he’s seen, “by that you mean friendly to Danny Fenton, right?”.

Danny smirks slightly, he was working on getting her friendly to both sides of him but it was more than a work in progress, “yeah. Destroying Phantom is one of her life goals and videos?”, smirking and raising an eyebrow, “you been looking me up doc?”. 

Lewis shrugs but points to Danny’s coffee, Danny smiling with ever so slight surprise and sipping at it while Lewis speaks, “I’m a curious man and you did tell me who you are. Though that may have only given me more questions”. 

“Oh?”.

Lewis nods and downs the rest of his coffee before it gets too cold, that may likely not bother Danny but Lewis prefers reasonably well-temperatured drinks, “from what I looked at, Phantom and Fenton act wildly different. Yet neither seem like the you I’ve seen since you’ve been here. And you did say your Phantom form was just an inversion of how you looked upon death, so what’s with the symbol? Obviously you made the Phantom name after dying, yet the symbol obviously means Danny Phantom”. 

Danny snorts and stretches out his tail some, wiggling the rest of his body a little as well, “can’t act the same in both forms, that’s suspicious, and you’re not from Amity. You don’t really know of me. So no point playing up the weakling or the hero around you”, chuckling and tracing a little DP over his chest with his tail tip, “there’s a wild story there. Inadvertently un-half died so had to half off myself again. Added the symbol to my original suit in black beforehand”, sighing happily, “re-half dying was worth the style points”. 

Lewis scrunches up his eyebrows, “so you’ve died half-way twice? That seems highly illogical. And it sounds like you had the choice not to, yet did it anyway full well knowing what you’d become?”. At least that’s one way to eliminate the debate of whether or not he had a choice being the way he was. 

Danny smiles and nods eagerly, “of course, I wouldn’t have me any other way. I’d do it again, as many times as needed, to stay Phantom. And I also made myself technically never get born once, fixed that obviously”, shaking his head, “mom almost dissected me that day. One of four times I’ve been strapped or chain down to some instrument of torture”. 

Lewis shakes his head, deciding to not touch how someone could make themselves not exist while still being in existence enough to correct that, that’s a paradox if he’s ever heard one. “Strapped to torture instruments is a bit commonplace for Eddie and that was before even becoming Venom. Since then I think they’re at two. And both Eddie and Vee would say the same about being Venom. They could have stayed separate, honestly glad they didn’t. I don’t think anyone else could support Vee and Eddie would just implode on his own”. 

Danny chuckles, he damn well hopes most people couldn’t even tolerate supporting Vee’s ‘diet’, “I’d implode too. One thing I’ve learned and know well. Be something or someone long enough and you can’t go back. Even if your body or life does. My ghostly instincts and Obsession are just part of me at this point”.

Lewis dips his head at Danny, made sense. Eddie is probably too used to Vee healing him and being functionally indestructible, that he would probably accidentally kill himself. “Humans are adaptable things. But reverting is like breaking a habit, most will fail miserably”, tilting his head and remembering another question, “and nether you nor Eddie are truly human fully. That’s a much bigger change. There’s no special fancy name for what’s Eddie is, he just gets called a host. But, if I remember correctly, you mentioned a word I haven’t heard before, ‘halfa’? Is that what you are?”. 

Danny blushes slightly, stupid tongue, “heh, that’s the word. Half creature, hybrid, half-ghost, half-breed, half-formed. If someone’s really a dick, bastardisation”. 

Lewis frowns at the last one, because that’s the appropriate reaction. The term was rather accurate but probably not appreciated, “that’s a lot of ways to say half something, half something else. Most seem a bit insulting”. 

Danny snorts as Lewis gets up to throw out the two empty cups, “the whole alive and dead thing is a bit of a spit in the face to both and existence in general. So it makes sense”, pointing at Lewis, “your friends are natural technically. Humans playing host to other organisms is commonplace and Symbiotes, from what you’ve said, naturally have hosts. So hosting a Symbiote is natural really. But halfas? Nothing natural about that. It’s like a major glitch in the universe. Something abominable. Don’t really bother me though”. 

“That’s good?”, well at least he didn’t seem to mind, positives. Shrugging slightly and setting bandaging to the side, “well Vee’s rather viewed a bit like that for being not evil. But that’s not the same of course”, picking up a garbage can and smiling cheerily, “now I was thinking we ought to get those casts off. Would make people think you’re doing better and let you move around some”, shrugging at Danny’s smile, “course you’ll still be bandaged up, no way you shouldn’t be, and-”, lifting up a larger bag, “-you’re wearing braces”. 

Danny groans exaggeratedly at seeing the guy pull out two long ones with hinges -obviously for his arms-, two for his wrist and fingers -but hey! At least it looks like he’ll actually be able to move his fingers, not bend them though-, and what looks like a bulletproof vest with lots of straps and ribbing. Great. Least the bandaging mostly looks like ace wrapping, which he uses for nastier wounds or breaks here and there. So that’s familiar enough. But...Danny smirks slightly, “so I _can_ just get out of the casts now?”. 

Lewis nods and makes a point of not jerking from Danny just sitting up and throwing his arms out. Basically breaking apart _all_ of the castings and hitting Lewis with a few pieces. Danny chuckles, “I make no apologies”. 

Lewis shrugs, “well, I did take your legs”.

“And you didn’t even give me proper payment! Those were fantastic rare samples of a unique species I’ll have you know”, Danny waves a finger at him before stretching out in genuine, eyeballing the door all the while. 

Lewis just motions for Danny’s arm and starts wrapping it up. Danny raising an eyebrow, “are you wrapping _everything_?”.

Lewis, securing it, “everything should, normally and logically, still be casted. You’re already getting a good deal here”. Danny huffs but lets Lewis do his job. 

Lewis would admit, if asked, that he is absolutely marvelling over Danny’s healing. He was in perfect condition and just like the work Vee can do, it’s always incredible to see healing like this. Though he is definitely getting some strange side-eyeing from Danny as he inspects Danny’s bodies work. 

Danny, meanwhile, thinks it’s probably for the best that Lewis doesn’t usually deal with conscious non-drugged patients. He could see Skulker going over his pelt like this, like an appraiser looking over a sought after collection, a hunter grazing their fingers over their favourite trophy prize, a cat eyeballing the best meal they’ve had in weeks. Lewis is again, really_ really weird,_ “dude, if you try to steal my body for display or something, we are going to have issues. One fucker doing that is enough, thank you very much”. 

Lewis glances at Danny as he’s snapping on the second arm brace, “your body does good work. I like admiring good work, preferably my own but still. And who wants to display you? That sounds more than a little worrying”. 

Danny chuckles, “I’m practically a one of a kind creature Lewis, my pelt is _the_ trophy prize of trophy prizes. Skulker, a collector and poacher, is more than just a little fixated on me”, shaking his head and grunting a little from the finger braces, definitely not comfortable, “he has a display section specifically assigned for me and is pretty much my personal stalker at this point. Makes good pie though”. 

Lewis shakes his head, “your life is complicated”, and motions for Danny to sit on the edge of the bed so he can put on the torso brace; Danny’s tail swishing around some.

Danny spreads his fingers repeatedly and bends them as much as he can at the first knuckles, which isn’t much, as Lewis moves around the back to finish securing the last brace; which he’s sure is pretty similar to the feel of an actual bulletproof vest. “You’ve got no idea. And there’s schooling on top of it, which my sister’s probably going to be bringing by today, so heads up for that”. 

Lewis nods curtly, “noted”, and steps back to assess and admire. Readjusting a few things to look better. Symmetry matters. 

Danny, deciding to mess with the guy a little for being a bit creepy, promptly transforms under the braces, also changing them like he did to the battle suit he used to fight Pariah. Hand and wrist braces turning white, the rest all black with his insignia over the chest of the torso brace. Green circles at every joint and white lines tracing the edges, black lines for his wrists and hands. 

Lewis blinks and coughs, firmly startled and a bit confused while Danny’s looking over the design with a small smirk. Hearing him mutter, “not half bad actually”. Lewis shakes his head some and inspects one of the arm braces, “how and why?”. 

Danny shrugs and transforms over the braces, making them seemingly disappear. Which Lewis gives him a seriously unimpressed and slightly insulted look for. Danny chuckles as he changes back human, braces reappearing completely normal. Lewis shaking his head and tapping on the arm brace, “you just altered -absorbed?- and recreated mass. Mass that wasn’t even your own”.

“I'm an impossible thing. Logic need not apply. When I’m all ghost, my organs and bones are optional. I can literally be just a bunch of floating vaguely person-shaped ectoplasm. Don’t ask me where my clothing and what not goes when I transform”, shrugging, “running theory, my ectoplasmic flesh just coats everything and absorbs or alters it”.

Lewis tilts his head, he didn’t exactly know what happened to Eddie's body or anything really either. Sometimes Venom could peel back to show Eddie’s face or body being right there, the next you could be staring down a throat that clearly wasn’t attached to a human. Illogical. Pointing at Danny, “you know, that’s pretty similar to running theory on what Vee does. Symbiotic flesh seeps out of Eddies pours and coats him. Sometimes absorbing him sometimes not, very illogical indeed. Vee also pretends to be Eddie’s clothing by doing that sometimes. Makes a very convincing leather jacket”, shaking his head with a slight smile, “just one that might bite you”. 

Danny chuckles and stretches out again, trying to get a feel for these things, “Tuck once made a joke that my transformation rings eat my human stuff and clothing, then vomit it back out when I change back”, before letting Lewis re-securing and check over all the tubes and wiring attached to him. 

Lewis checks his watch and laughs, with the way the Venom transformation happens it did look a lot like Vee eating Eddie’s face. While Danny floats off the bed and swirls around the room a little. Floating to look over Lewis’s shoulder, “let me guess, you’ve got more actual work to do today?”.

Lewis nods, probably oddly unfazed by the floating teen, “indeed, cutting it close already. Mostly just phone calls, paperwork and dealing with the underlings”, patting Danny’s shoulder, “at least attempt to stay in bed mostly, other people do show up here you know”. 

Danny waves him off, “pfft I’ve vacuumed my house in ghost form before. Really is the easiest way to vacuum the walls”.

Lewis pauses at the door and looks back at him slightly, “who vacuums their walls?”. 

“Fenton’s”. 

* * *

Danny floats around the room, checking out random things, though being careful to not pull off any of the monitoring crap stuck to him. Don’t want to go giving Lewis a heart attack or something. Eventually running out of that to do, so he tests out the range of motion on every single section of the braces. Which, hint, was not very much. 

Around noon he’s pretty much just laying in bed fiddling with his fingers and waiting for lunch, when Val/Red comes in through the window a bit aggressively and does a roll across the ground. 

Danny blinks, “uh hey, again”, as she springs up and deactivates her helmet. Danny instantly frowning and sitting up at her looking slightly disheveled and worried. “What is it?”. 

Valerie glances out the window at the vehicles, “didn’t want those guys seeing me and wondering why the Red Huntress was here”, looking back to Danny, “out of casts I see. It looks...way less serious”. 

Danny smirks, “yeah”, moving his arm around and bending his fingers as much as he can, “still annoying though. Kinda feel like I’m in a battle suit myself though”. 

Both of them look out the window as it starts raining, Valerie smiling, “do I ever have good timing”. 

Danny squints, something seemed kind of..._off_, “yeah......”, tilting his head at Val, “what guys? My folks are here too?”.

Valerie sighs and shakes her head, slightly annoyed and not really sure nor caring why they were here, “no, it’s those idiotic G.I.W. their cars stick out li-”.

Danny promptly cuts her off, hiding his panic for now, “_what_? Are, um, sure they’re here?”, Danny looks at the stuff hocked up to him, figuring out what order to get rid of or deactivate them while alerting the staff as late as possible. 

Valerie squints at him, a little confused, the G.I.W. were just confusing and annoying that’s it, “yeah, they always wear those super clean white suits and the pompous sunglasses”. 

“Ah _fuck_”, Danny prompt floats off the bed and to the window, looking out and indeed seeing their damn vehicles, one that is definitely a heavy-duty ecto-entity transportation vehicle, “fuck me”, squinting more at the rain, it was a really bright blue. Intense colours and him altering colour palettes was normal in Amity, but here? Was he already ecto-contaminating this place that much? 

Now Valerie is both confused and a little worried, not to mention startled by Danny just..._floating_. Watching the tail vibrate like static, clearly upset or freaked out. She’s just going to assume Danny’s tried this floating thing already or it comes naturally with the tail, “what is it? I know they’re annoying but I highly doubt they’d be visiting some kid. Even if you’re a Fenton”. 

Danny glances at her before zipping over to all the devices hooked up to him, fiddling with them as he responds, “you see the big van? Like an armoured truck? They are _absolutely_ here for me. And if they find me, they’ll shove me in that and take me to who knows where for lots of painful experiments”. 

Valerie blinks, judging by how focused and panicked he seemed -not to mention how he was deactivating machines, tearing sensors off, and cutting through any tubes that were more impeded in him- he was serious about this. But why?, “that doesn’t make sense Danny. Why would they do that? You’re a human kid”. 

Danny looks at her a little stunned that it wasn’t obvious before zipping back to the window, he couldn’t go out this way, he’d be spotted and he’d rather not start showing off his powers to Val. Floating around was probably already pushing it. Plus, hospitals had tons of exits. “I’m a human kid with a _ghostly tail_ and _ectoplasm in my blood_. The hospital took samples from me when I arrived, they would have access to that. My folks' samples they don’t”, turning to her as he floats against his door and listens, whispering to her as she walks over quietly, looking a bit more serious now, “they’ve come after me before, I tricked them so they dropped it. Can’t do that again cause the device I used was destroyed”, Danny doesn’t even have to ask if she’s helping him get out of here, partly because it would be easier if she didn’t partly because he knows she’s going to help even if he asked her not to, as he expertly gets the lock open and sticks his head out. 

Valerie grabs him and yanks his head back in, whispering, “what do you think you’re doing?”, gesturing at his tail, “if they’re after you then _that _getting spotted is the worst thing you could do”. 

Even if people did spot his tail, people can write a quick glimpse off as a trick of the eye, “I _can’t_ stay here”.

Valerie dashes back to Danny’s hospital bed, it still hurt that he even had one, and yanks off the top sheet. Tossing it at Danny and whispering, “then hide it, I’ll carry you. You know damn well I can be sneaky”. The fact that he doesn’t even complain about that, instead just lays on the ground and coils the tail up tightly, tying the sheet around it and his waist; really makes it clear he’s very serious about this. 

She picks him up, firmly pushing off her mild freak out overdoing that and how light he is, while he throws an arm around her shoulder and neck. Promptly sticking her head out the door and booking it towards an empty hallway. 

Danny makes a damn point to pay attention to his senses, smelling for people or where he can smell more fresh air -likely closer to an exit- as Val runs impressively quietly. Of course, him getting carried is damn embarrassing and the jostling isn’t pleasant, if he was actually still injured this would probably hurt like Hell. “Left.....Right......Right....”, pointing at one of the bridges, “over that, exit”.

Valerie huffs and makes a point to walk more casually, even if they get some weird looks no one really thinks much of it, “Danny, you memorised, the building? Just _how_, cautious are you?”.

Danny just grunts as they get across, looking over the railing to see Lewis talking to two clearly annoyed G.I.W. agents, “as much as needed”. 

Valerie follows his line of sight just before she starts manoeuvring to a stairwell, seeing three agents talking to Danny’s weird -seriously who says stuff like that?- doctor, “fuck, you’re right”. Then muttering as she starts down the stairs, “I’m not hurting you am I?”. 

Danny grunts as she gets open the door to outside, logically he should be in pain but that would make her feel bad, “I’m fine, let’s just go”. 

Valerie plops Danny on the ground, activates her helmet only, and sticks her head out into the pouring rain, looking around for a clear coast. 

Danny looks at the rain and his bandaging, chuckling, “Lewis is gonna be pissed”. Untying the sheet, because honestly the goal was to be totally unseen now, thank you rain for the poor visibility in that regard. Floating over near her though not sticking his head into the rain, and muttering, “don’t give me shit for not being carried anymore. I’d rather be able to zip off if I have to”. 

Valerie side-eyes him but nods, it made sense, she might have to play distraction or something. Plus, the rain made it incredibly darker. At least it will likely be a while before anyone comes out here to look for them so they’ve got time to wait for a good while. 

* * *

Lewis was walking to the front desk to check over somethings and make a couple drop-offs, when he spotted the three white-suited men. Making a point to not stare or looking at them, or chuckle for that matter, they looked like nock off Men In Black agents. _Guys In White_, Hell that was a complete rip off actually. 

Ignoring them as one agent asks the receptionist, “Agent S, government agent. We need to see some patient files-”.

“I’m sorry sir, if you’re not family or the patient we can’t release that kind of information”.

Lewis nearly chokes and laughs at the Agents response, “we do your taxes. All the ones for the people who were brought in from the car crash in Amity Park, files now”. 

The receptionist gives them a disbelieving look and takes her sweet time looking over the guys' badge, “sorry sir, I still can not release that information to you”. 

“Where are their rooms located?”.

The receptionist, who’s obviously mistrustful of them now. Lewis almost thinks she should get a raise for putting up with this, as she responds, “many are in special intensive care or discharged. Those still here are not allowed unapproved visitors-”.

“Where are their rooms, we will come in with a warrant”.

She completely ignores their comment, “-All approvals are being handled by their respective doctors. If you wish to see any of them you will need approval”.

One of the other Agents steps up, “who are the doctors”, that’s supposed to be a question but it sounds like a demand. 

Lewis, deciding to catch them off guard a little, “I am one”. 

The receptionist functionally exits the conversation at this point and goes back to her work. Not wanting to deal with these blowhards or Dr. Lewis. Taking the finished paperwork from the strange surgeon. She was more than happy to hear he would be going away for a while to help look after his patient, whose parents he was apparently friends with. How they could tolerate him was a bit of a mystery but from the little interaction she’s had with them, they were weird too. Possibly more weird. 

The one identified as Agent S steps towards Lewis, “how many patients”.

“That information is private”.

All three agents flash their badges, “not from the government it’s not”.

Lewis makes a damn point of inspecting the badges, which are real annoyingly enough. Still doesn’t matter, “you need a warrant then”. 

One of the agents types away and not even a second or two later the receptionist is handing Lewis a warrant. Lewis nods at it, these guys were fast, why couldn’t the guys who _actually_ do his taxes be like that? Clearing his throat, “I don’t have many in my care at the moment, as I usually handle surgeries. I’m not sure how helpful that will be to you”, waiting for a beat while they stare before continuing, “as it stands, I’m looking after three. Only two from the crash”. 

The three nod, before agent S speaks, “file and room location for both”. 

“Why?”.

“We are with the government”.

Looking over the warrant quickly, nothing about files or rooms, “not good enough. Friends and family only”. Lewis has a feeling that these guys are used to throwing their positions and titles around. 

One of the other agents steps forward, “then we want to see your superior”.

Lewis smirks, he loved doing this, “I _am _the superior”.

The agent squints at his name tag and snaps, “the hospital head then”.

Lewis restrains a chuckle, that was going to get them nowhere fast. Giving them her number anyway and fetching a coffee while he waits. Hiding his smirk with the rim of the cup at the clearly frustrated agents. No way Ms. Leevy would go against Lewis’s decision over visitation of all things, especially for a special case patient or one very wealthy woman, both of whom Lewis himself worked on. He was strange and disliked but _everyone _knew he was damn good. It was a rare day in Hell when he was actually questioned. It had probably been years since he had been actually. 

Frowning ever so slightly as the Agent clearly makes another call, likely his own government superiors. Lewis stands up as Agent S comes back over, “take us to their rooms and provide their documentation now”. 

Lewis doesn’t get a chance to respond as the receptionist calls him over and hands him faxed in documents, looking a little frazzled. These guys actually got warrants, just like that once again. Danny was right to be cautious of them, but this functionally ties Lewis’s hands. And considering these guys will shoot rockets at teenagers, he’s got no doubt they’ll storm the building if he refuses at this point. That would put everyone in the hospital at risk and likely wouldn’t do much in the way of stalling. 

Making a damn point of using the slowest, most annoying, and glitchy computer they have, Lewis goes about opening up Lilly’s file. Taking the long way instead of using his personal code to bypass things. But blinking when he finds the file, it was severely corrupted. Most of the files were practically unusable, even the descriptions and names were hardly intact. 

Agent S snapping, “what’s wrong, why does it look like that. Unencrypt it”. 

This gets the receptionist's attention again as she looks over and squints, muttering, “that’s not encryption. What in the world?”. 

Lewis shakes his head, confused and a little stumped. Moving over to what he knows is Danny’s file to find it looks the same. It’s like a virus came in and took bites out of it. One file even crashes the computer when he tries to open it. The screen showing a little spinning PDA for a second before turning off completely. Danny’s friends were officially a little terrifying. What kind of hacking or programming did Tucker even use to do something like this? The kid better well have a back up of Lily’s file, Lewis kind of needs that. 

Lewis shakes his head at the screen and stands, turning to the receptionist, “have the IT guys look into that”, before turning to the Agents, “warrant or no, you’re out of luck. Flies are damaged”. 

Agent S snapping with clear distaste and ego, “rooms then. I’m sure your hospital isn’t so horrible that the rooms can get corrupted or doctors forget their patients' rooms”. Clearly these government dogs were pricks. 

Lewis holds up his finger as his pager goes off, no one should be paging him at this point so something was clearly going wrong or there was an emergency. Checking it to see that it was a vitals alarm from Danny’s room. Seriously hoping that’s because the kid disconnected stuff, not actually having an emergency. Good thing Lewis messed with the alarms from Danny’s room. The nurses would simply be notified that Danny had been transferred rooms and to clean up the room. So to give the nurses time to do their jobs, Lewis takes the slightly longer route to Lily’s room and isn’t surprised at all when they aren’t too interested in Lily. He’s even less surprised Danny’s gone and the room is clean. 

Looking at the agents and, restraining a smirk, says, “oh no, guess they’ve been misplaced”. The agents are unimpressed. 

* * *

Meanwhile, Valerie and Danny smile at the backlot clearing out, hadn’t taken even remotely long. Valerie suiting up fully to stay dry and blend in a bit better. Plus her board would be quieter than running through puddles. Looking back to Danny, who’s sitting on the ground, tail wrapped under his torso. The less floating he does the better, he doesn’t want to seem too used to this. Valerie asking, “you good just riding piggyback on my board? I’m fast and I think I can steer better than you can use the tail”. 

Danny nods as she activates her board, holding gently around her neck; letting his tail just float about in case he has to run/fly off. Nodding again as she asks, “good to go?”. Before shooting off. 

However, Danny near-instantly stiffens, yelps, and yanks his tail to curl in between the rest of his body and Val. Wincing and shaking slightly from every raindrop. This was _not_ normal rain. hissing out, “go back, fuck, _ow. Fuck_”. 

If Valerie hadn’t been concerned by the comment she would be by the fact that she can’t fell Danny’s tail moving _at all _and it seems like his muscles are shaking and spasming. So she promptly flies back. Pretty much having to peel Danny’s stiff and definitely seized up arms from around her neck. Grabbing the sheet they left behind and patting off the rain a bit frantically, which she’s now noticing looks way too brightly coloured. 

Danny groans, this shit fucking _hurts_. Goddamn G.I.W. twats. They probably were spraying this crap or some shit. Jerkily pushing himself to sit up against Val/Red’s leg after he gets some control of his muscles back, he can feel that stuff burned his skin too. Looking down at his, smaller than it should be, tail and finally noticing the lack of movement. Trying to float or bend it and utterly failing. This was _not good_. Leaning forward and scooping his hand underneath it, lifting it only for it to behave like a limp soggy noodle. Letting go of it for it to just flop to the ground. Looking up at Val/Red, who’s frowning, Danny clears his throat probably sounding a little shocky, “heh, l-let’s hope this isn’t...permanent”. 

Valerie nods jerkily, having a ghostly tail was weird enough, losing legs was horrible enough, not being able to use what he does have would be downright cruel. Moving and helping Danny to stiffly lay on the ground. Deactivating her suit and looking at her dry clothing and skin, she couldn’t just give him her suit, it was part of her body. But if they could put something else over him....pointing at him, “just wait here”, before booking it back into the building. 

Danny’s hoping she’s got some kind of idea, because he’s a sitting duck here and he can’t even doing anything about that really. Dragging himself over to a wall and flopping onto his side, groaning a bit and trying to ignore the spasms. Grabbing his tail and pulling it up to his face so he can inspect it. It taking a few tries because of wet braces and the super malleable composition of ectoplasm that’s only barely holding the form of a ghostly tail. But he manages and it was ragged instead of smooth and little holes in spots. Danny could also tell his bodies ectoplasm had been pretty heavily depleted. Which is starting to make him a fair bit tired, not to mention weak. Which only serves to annoy him and make him more paranoid. 

And what if his tail couldn’t recover from this? Zone knows what’s in that ‘rain’. What if he won’t be able to fly or float anymore? That would, that would be _awful_. He’d rather his legs not grow back at all, ever, than not fly again. Pushing down his rising panic as Val comes back with rubber aprons. 

Valerie’s pretty well positive he’s either going into shock or something worse with how wide-eyed he looks, not to mention the shaking. Quickly wrapping him in the aprons and making a damn point to make sure all of him is covered, especially the tail. Looking kind of like a Danny burrito at the end, trying to make this seem less shitty, she chuckles slightly, “you look silly”. 

Danny looks at her speaking a bit awkwardly, “prick”, before jerking and wincing in pain, feeling his Core do the closest thing it can to seizing up. This felt an awful lot like the Plasmius Maximus. Which, for once, was actually encouraging. That wore off after a while.

Valerie grabbing his shoulders, more than a little worried, “Danny. Are you okay?”. 

Danny grunts, “not really. My ectoplasm’s basically seizing up now”, nodding his head stiffly at her, “suit up, we still need to get out of here”. 

Valerie frowns but does as she’s asked, “Danny, I didn’t even know you had ectoplasm in you before. How bad is that?”. 

Danny chuckles a little hollowly, “everyone in Amity does”. 

She looks to where she knows his tail is a bit judgingly as she lays him over the nose of her board, “not enough to set off detectors or form ghost tails, Danny. You even said you have a lot in you even before now, more than everyone else”, patting his back and grabbing on to him, “you good to try again?”. 

Danny nods as she creeps out, “I’m fine, go. And yeah I guess I did. Something similar to this has happened before, minus the burning-”. 

Valerie cuts in as she crouches and speeds off, making sure to keep a good grip on Danny, “_burning_!?!”. 

Danny grunts, “yeah, felt like someone was dripping acid on me-”.

Cutting in again, “how did you not _scream from that?_”.

“High pain tolerance. My house is an _accidental death_ waiting to happen. Anyway, if this works like the other thing did, I’ll be fine in time”, Danny’s pretty well clinging to that idea and freaking out would not be helpful at all right now. He doesn’t have time for a freakout. 

Valerie ducks behind some cars, grumbling, “well you still should get treatment from your folks or the....doctor guy, for it. Can they even treat your, er, ectoplasm? What if it doesn’t get better at all”. 

Danny grumbles as she has to backtrack again, there were more agents showing up, “yes but my ‘plasm’s usually just left alone to do its thing. And I don’t really know. My tail would probably fade away, other than that. I really don’t know”, he could make a few guesses, but not only does he not want to voice them but she’ll ask some questions. Because really, there was only three options. He’d die fully, he’d come fully back to life, or he just wouldn’t be able to use his ghost stuff and side anymore. All of them are fucking horrible and he is firmly not thinking about that. Instead grimacing at what’s functionally crowds in every direction. Some with agents some not. Grumbling, “damnit, can I use your com by chance? Make phone calls?”. 

Valerie’s got no clue what he’s up to but she’s got nothing, so she puts a spare pair of her suits headphones into his ears and shoves a little remote into his hand. Muting the call on her helmet for privacy, “here, I’m not listening. Do whatever plan you have”.

Danny smiles and calls Tuck, speaking as soon as he picks up, “don’t ask, where you at?”.

“We’re both in Amity dude, what’s happening?”.

“_Seeing a marching band_“, their code for the G.I.W. are here, “_little red bird’s joined the black parade_”, meaning the Red Huntress is helping Danny, “patch me to doc man. Because you fuckers are a long way off. Got a probable _fake-out make-out_ in mind“, mentally groaning over their phrase for saving Danny ass through trickery, “and can’t use _little red bird, marching band’s got eyes_”. It was way too easy for them to get spotted if Val/Red just flies off and he’s not about to risk her secret like that. Besides, the G.I.W. are stupid but not that stupid. 

“Noticed, _hacked and cracked._ Hold your knickers.....and done. Connecting. Don’t ghost us”, with that Danny hangs up so he can talk with Lewis and probably so Tuck can watch what the G.I.W. are doing. Least it sounds like he deleted Danny’s file or something similar. 

Seconds later Lewis picks up, sounding a bit incredulous, “hello?”. 

“What’s up doc? You got a car right?”. 

“Yes. It’s in the west bay lot. I have a lot of questions. I’m in the bathroom holding my pager, which firmly can not take calls, to my ear. _How_?”. 

Danny chuckles and looks up at Val/Red, “not speaking to you right now. Hey driver, we need the west bay lot”, leaning his face back down so no rain can possibly get on it as she flies off cautiously and clearly a bit confused. “I’m back doc. Don’t question the powers of the very geek. Just meet us by your shit and grab the shit I came in with._ All of it._ Even scraps”. 

Danny can practically hear Lewis’s smirk, “that’s easy. Confiscated it days ago. See you soon”. Danny smirks as he hangs up. 

Danny chuckles slightly, body feeling a ton better but ectoplasm still not usable, “we’re good to go. You’re basically dropping me off with Lewis. No one will think something weird of a doctor going out for late lunch or early supper”.

Valerie shakes her head, “I didn’t even understand half of what you said. But you got lucky with your doctor”. 

Danny simply smiles as they near the parking lot. Danny spotting some well-dressed guy walking with a large briefcase. As they get closer and Danny squints, it’s clearly Lewis. “Dude walking with a briefcase. Looks weird without his doctor coat”. 

Valerie’s just assuming Danny knew whereabouts his doctor would be, since she can barely see the person. 

Lewis spots the Red Huntress -how does that board of hers work?- and promptly unlocks his car, signalling for the back doors to open. Managing to get to the car just after the girl dumps what looks like a rubber black garbage bag in the back seat. The girl pointing at Lewis and speaking with an oddly deep voice, “I don’t care what he says, give him medical attention when safe”, then promptly flies off out of sight. 

Lewis hops in the car, tosses his briefcase onto the floor in the back, and starts the car as he closes the door. Turning around and speaking as he uses the back window to reverse instead of his camera so that he can see that Danny’s indeed here, wrapped in rubber? And not in a way Vee would like Eddie to be. Shaking his head to clear that image and speaking, “I have even more questions. Guess we’re heading to Amity a little early huh?”, and then fucking drives off. 

Danny chuckles and unwraps the aprons as quickly as he can with his stiffness and without getting any of the ‘rain’ on himself. Pushing himself to sit up and stuffing the aprons under the seat. “I bet you do. But no, should probably hold off on going to Amity. You’ll be followed and it’d be suspicious if you do that before you’re scheduled to be off work. You’re just taking a late lunch is all”. 

Lewis stares at him through the review mirror, Danny just _left _needles stuck into his skin and let himself be tossed around, “take out the needles. Seriously. And I am _not _just letting you run off and I definitely can’t take you out for food in public. Leaving you in here all day would be more risky than you just hiding in a hospital closet”, watching the road though squinting, Danny’s tail was strangely still, “what’s going on with your tail?”. 

Danny huffs a little and yanks out the couple things still hooked into him, before grabbing the brief case and digging through his clothing pockets, “the rain’s not rain doc. It’s an anti-ecto solution. My ectoplasm is functionally paralysed right now. It burned the Zone out of me too. So yes, I need to be rewrapped for burn-ah! Yes!”, lifting up his little keychain thermos and poking the uncram button, making it return to a full-sized thermos. 

Lewis isn’t sure if he’s unimpressed at his work getting ruined _again _or impressed that it happened so quickly. “I can’t keep bandaging on you for even a day, can I? And how is a thermos useful? And was it shrunken before?”. 

Danny shakes the thermos with a smirk, “this is the most useful thing I have. And yes, folks built a shrink gun like a year ago. Built and repurposed parts from it to build into one of my thermoses. That way I can have a thermos keychain and never be without one”. 

Lewis furrows his brows, just how many logic-defying things had his old friends made? “The laws of the universe don’t apply to Fenton’s, in general, do they? And that doesn’t answer how the thermos is useful”.

Danny actually laughs at that, though suppressing a wince for rattling his paralysed Core, as he checks to make sure the thermos is actually empty, “pretty much. It’ll seem less weird after dad accidentally sucks the house into an alternate dimension a few times. Dream catchers that spit people in half and heavily weaponised jumpsuits, yes those suits they wear are weaponised, seem a lot less odd comparatively”, Danny’s firmly enjoying Lewis’s slightly confused expression, and confusing the guy is a welcome distraction. Smirking slightly, he opens the thermos at the car roof, the beam shooting out but of course doing nothing as he puts the cap back on. 

Lewis nearly jerks the wheel, not expecting Danny to start shooting his car, deadpanning, “why did you shoot my car? What does that do? And just _how _weaponised”. 

Danny puts it to the side and sorts through the briefcase more for a pair of Fenton Phones, “you got a screwdriver kit? And it’s a capture device. I don’t just beat ghosts up till they leave. I catch ‘em...in a thermos”. 

Lewis digs around in his dash compartment and hands back a kit, whose taken to laying across the seats, “well you are _not _going to be catching any ghosts. So what are you using it for”. Glancing in the mirror to see Danny tearing apart one of what looks like a green wireless earbud with a mic that’s sitting on his stomach, “and those?”. 

Danny holds up the intact one, “Fenton Phones. Name says it all, gimme your pager”, explaining more as Lewis just does it and starting to take that apart too, “I'm fusing the communication bits of the one Fenton Phone into your pager. That way we can communicate”. 

“I have a phone you know. And those pagers cost money”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “phones can be tapped. Fenton Phones can’t be. They also can’t be traced”, looking at Lewis’s face through the review mirror, “you could just wear it but that would be noticeable. Or do you want me to take apart your _phone_”. 

Lewis, recognising when he should just go along with whatever a weird friend wants, promptly nods, “you can have the pager”, like how you just _don’t_ try to share food with Vee, best let them have the whole plate, or bowl. Clearing his throat, “but I’m still not letting you run off or stay in the car. Since you won’t go to Amity then what?”. 

Danny lifts up the thermos and shakes it, before finishing up the pager and testing it. Smiling with a nod and handing the pager back, “I’m hiding in the thermos. So technically, I _am _catching a ghost, me. Then you just jab the cram button and hide it where ever. Could even shove it and thusly me, in you wallet”. 

Lewis gives Danny seriously dubious eyebrows through the review mirror, “you can fit in that?”. 

“It’s a Hell of a lot comfier than the vacuum. And dad accidentally crammed -shrunk- me once before so that’s safe too”. Danny leans forward and uses his elbows two perch himself up on the centre console, tail just flopping unceremoniously on the ground as he holds up the thermos and starts pointing at buttons, “cram, uncram, capture, and this last one’s release. You’ll have to uncram the thermos and then use the release button to let me out”. 

Lewis is genuinely considering labelling this as the weirdest day he’s ever had. And it’s just over half over, “so you want me to just, carry you around in a tiny thermos for hours on end? So you can avoid the government officials crawling all over my hospital?”. 

Danny nods a bit erratically, “yes, exactly. You could leave me in the car or your locker, if you have one of those. Sure I’ll be a little cranky and sore, it’s not the Taj Mahal in there. But it’s safe and they won’t be able to detect me with scanners”.

“They have scanners for you? Seriously?”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “no, all ghosts. So do my folks. I set that stuff off if they’re sensitive enough regardless of form. I set them off even easier now it seems, blaming the tail for that. My parents' scanner even says, ‘you’d have to be a moron to not spot the ghost directly in front of you’. The ghost grabber adds ‘beware’ after every word I say. And the boomerang will always aim for and hit me if someone throws it. There’s a really long list actually”. 

Lewis shakes his head, this was a bit absurd, “and yet they still don’t realise you’re half ghost? Even with their devices point-blank telling them you are a ghost?”. 

Danny shrugs, “people are blind, like I said. Anyway, I’mma hide before my luck runs out and G.I.W. drives by or something”.

Lewis almost wishes he pulled over as Danny aims it at his face, gets hit by a blue beam and seems to basically dissolve into Danny coloured mist and gets sucked inside; thermos clattering to the ground. Lewis waits till he gets to the little diner to grab the thermos and hit the cram button. Looking at his pager and pushing the new green button, “you good?”. 

Danny’s voice coming through the pager, “I’m fine doc, just go eat and don't be suspicious. I can hear through the thermos by the way. And yes, even I qualify this situation as rather weird even by my standards”. 

Lewis shakes his head, clipping the thermoses little key chain on his wallets inside zipper and zipping the whole thing closed, “glad I’m not the only one”, before heading in for food. 

* * *

One of the annoying things about his ectoplasm being disabled, Danny thinks, is that he can’t move around. Since the thermos basically dissolves and hyper condenses ghosts into just their pure ectoplasm. Sure you could make/keep that ectoplasm you shaped...if you could _actually move your ectoplasm_. But at least he was alone in here. Though hearing Lewis go about his day is more than a little strange. Even seems slightly invasive when he’s dealing with patients. Which is hardly ever actually. But he does learn that Lewis really _does _watch what he says around others. Speaking all professional and calming like with some girl named Pepper. But it does keep him somewhat entertained. 

Lewis: “mam, I would ask you to leave the transfusion line in”.

Danny doesn’t even need to ask to know how big of a mess tearing out a blood transfusion line would make. Largely because he, like an idiot, has done that repeatedly. 

Pepper: “well then get one that doesn’t poke holes in me”.

Lewis: “I apologise as that isn’t something the hospital currently offers”. 

Pepper: “well then make it. You’re the big head guy aren’t you?”. 

Lewis: “mam. No place offers that because it doesn’t currently exist”.

Pepper, who Danny is imagining is making some kind of shooing motion, “then go make one. I’ll wait”. 

Lewis: “maybe someone will see to that. In the meantime, you do need this. So please allow nurse Joy to help you out. I’m sure you’d like to be on your way”. 

Pepper: “absolutely not. I will not have something icky like that being jabbed in my skin. And do you even clean the blood? I hear you just take it from any weirdos who just show up. I’ll just find another hospital where they can give me what I want. How would you like losing your paycheck?”.

Lewis: “I can assure you we have extremely high standards for both the blood we take and provide to patients. You were sent here because you needed the best care possible, which we have and can provide as best as you allow us to”.

Pepper: “pah! Then stop jabbing me with things. Use the needles on the commoners with no standards. Treat me like a doctor, would you treat a doctor like this?!?”. 

Lewis: “without question yes. Everyone receives the same level of care, as we hold ourselves to the highest standard”. 

Pepper: “bullshit! No doctor would let their skin, that they likely spent good money taking care of, be marred for some silly blood thingy”. 

Someone Danny’s assuming is a nurse: “mam please, Dr. Lewis has other duties to perform. All you need to do is take the treatment as _you need i_-”.

Pepper: “I don’t care what other patients he has! They can all curdle and die! Give me what I actually deserve”.

Lewis, sounding a little too cheery, “I can certainly do that.....nurse Remfell, could you fetch me the sedatives?”. Danny snorts and laughs at that. 

Pepper: “what! I do not need something like that!”.

Lewis: “then please take your treatment as you’ve been directed”. 

Pepper: “this is harassment and coercion!”. 

Lewis: “you requested I give what you deserve. Which is simply what you need. Which is exactly the treatment we are attempting to give you”. 

Pepper: “_no_, what I _need _is for you to speed up this process so I can go home to people who _actually _do treat me properly. You know, by _not _jabbing me with needles”. 

Lewis: “if they were capable of indeed providing you with adequate treatment then I would feel comfortable releasing you to them. However, they are not. No one can rush healing, the body must take its time and it can use that time best while being treated properly”.

Pepper: “would you let this be done to you? I think not”. 

Lewis: “I certainly would. The people here are highly skilled. I could demonstrate, if that would make you feel better?”. 

Nurse Remfell, sounding cautious and barely above a whisper: “_Doctor Lewis_”. 

Pepper: “oh don’t bother. You probably _willing_ eat meat. So clearly your standards are a little lower than mine”.

Lewis: “you’ll find most doctors are quite healthy eaters, including the very much necessary amount of meat. Though I can assure you that I have a friend with a far more specialised and refined palette”. Danny officially wonders just _how often_ Lewis drops random info about his friends. And man would Sam ever be able to get into one Hell of an argument with Lewis and his friends. 

Pepper: “then maybe they should do your job. Since you clearly don’t know about nutrition at all”. 

Lewis: “that is not my department but I can assure I am very well informed in that regard. I don’t believe _anyone _would exactly like them to be the ones digging around in them”. 

Nurse Remfell, again sounding cautious and slightly pleading: “doctor, don’t you have surgery in a little while?”. 

Lewis: “I do. But maybe they’d enjoy some diet tips from miss Pepper as an apology for holding me up from doing what is in my title”. 

Pepper: “hmpf, they don’t deserve my wisdom for free”. 

Lewis: “then you’re going to let everyone here do their jobs and get you and other patients fixed up?”.

Pepper: “not if they’re going to stick Me with more damn needles”. 

Lewis: “Nurse Remfell, please have Dr. Meyer sedate and help treat Miss Pepper. I would do it, my hands are steadiest of course, but I’m afraid I have other responsibilities”. 

Nurse Remfell: “yes doctor”. 

Danny chuckles as he can hear Lewis leaving and the door closing. Though he’s not really looking forward to overhearing surgery of all things. 

Surprisingly it’s not that bad when you can’t see shit. Plus there’s no nightmarish screaming cause Lewis doesn’t run around _dissecting conscious beings_. In fact, Danny spends most of the time naming off what instruments he knows by sound. It’s probably concerning that seems to be most of them. But saw on bone is a pretty darn unique sound and something like scalpels he could tell just by how Lewis seemed to be moving. Though he is a little surprised by just _how often_ Lewis uses a bone saw. He’s not sure if that’s just normal or if Lewis just _really _likes sawing into bones. If it was anyone else the answer would be obvious. But it’s the guy who makes cakes for vigilante serial killers and makes designs out of and in people’s bodies for fun. 

Danny also gets a bit surprised by just how much idle chitchat goes on, which Lewis is firmly not involved in. In fact, whenever it sounds like he gets relatively close they quiet down. It would be funny that Lewis seemed like the operation rooms ‘shut your yap and work’ button, if it weren’t for that being kind of...sad. Lewis wasn’t kidding about not being exactly well-liked. Which Danny’s a bit miffed about, the guy was great! Weird...but great. Would any other doctors or nurses pull even half the shit Lewis has for him at this point? No, so maybe they should stop being dicks. Plus Danny would have figured at least _someone_ would ask about the run-in with the G.I.W. but they either didn’t care or didn’t want to deal with or question Lewis. 

Lewis takes the time in-between surgeries to check in with Danny, tapping the green button mostly just to make sure he’s heard, “you still good?”. 

Danny gets a little caught off guard by Lewis’s voice being louder, but it does make it obvious he’s talking to him, “I’mma dandy Danny. Been napping here and there. You really do rub people wrong, but they’re dicks so fuck ‘em. Also, you use bone saws _a lot_”. 

Lewis screws up his face a bit, “I’m going to guess you figured that out by sound? In which case, how do you know what that sounds like that well?”. 

“I’ve been playing a game of guess the medical tool. And dude, you won’t like that answer. No one does”. 

Lewis shakes his head, “you've used one haven’t you?”.

Awkward chuckling, “here and there. It’s a much more pleasant way of smoothing over the ends of ribs I break off than metal files. And it’s a lot easier to just remove my ribs and access my spine through the front than try to go the back way”. 

Lewis honestly feels ever so slightly like he’s talking to Vee. Talking about the disposability of body parts and the inconvenience of the human, or somewhat human in Danny case, body. “You’re not wrong and it is definitely better than a garage tool. You have an impressive pain tolerance”. 

“Comes with the hero duties, I’ve been getting slammed into concrete at over five-hundred mph since my first weak. The first time I got cut in half was a trip though. Aren’t you supposed to be bone-cracking?”. 

Lewis blinks, okay Danny was almost definitely more durable than Venom, “us surgeons get pretty decent breaks in-between most times, but yes. Though I would frankly rather have you hovering around for conversation than most of my underlings for assistance”. 

Lewis gets up and straightens out his coat while Danny responds, “that would probably qualify as insanely creepy for either one of us to be doing. Me being an unauthorised voyeuristic helicopter. You being the guy doing the nitty-gritty while conversing with the sorta dead. Though _technically_, I could probably function as an assistant. Pretty sure that would be highly illegal though”. 

Lewis chuckles, it would make work more interesting and enjoyable for sure...and less likely for him to be transferred. Though the hospital might freak out a little from someone actually seeming to be genuinely friendly with Lewis. “It would be, though I best get back at this point. Enjoy the surgery soundtrack”. 

Danny just chuckles quietly. 

* * *

Lewis snaps off his gloves as he leaves the OR, shift officially over and done with, so he can go deal with the mess Danny’s functionally made for him. Missing files, government dogs, a transferred patient that’s actually just completely missing, bandaging to redo, a technical fugitives belongings stashed in his car, a random hunter that will probably want to check in on Danny, how to explain Danny going home way sooner than planned -to both the hospital and his two hunter friends-, oh yeah and a super-powered half-dead teenager trapped in a thermos the size of his pinky nail stuffed in his wallet. Eddie’s and Vee’s problems were definitely a lot simpler, partly because they usually ate them. Just a couple of dead bodies, which sometimes _were_ the problems. 

Walking casually back to his car and hopping in, pushing the green button, “I’m going to take you to my place for the night if that’s fine?”. 

“You do have a wife right? How you gonna explain this random kid? If you’re gonna leave me in here all night, then you owe me some serious pancakes or something”. 

Lewis chuckles and shakes his head as he drives home, it was a bit of a long commute but he didn’t mind much. “Do you know how I met Eddie? Through my wife. They used to be _engaged_. And when the whole Vee and being Venom thing happened she let Vee body snatch her to save Eddie’s butt. Said body-snatching also included biting a mercenaries head off”, chuckling some more, “found out from Vee later, pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to find out, but Vee went back into Eddie’s body from Anne’s via a very intense kiss”. 

“Was it right after the whole...uh, taking a bite out of crime...thing? That will never not be fucked up by the way. But okay, you’re wife’s weird too”. 

Lewis smiles warmly, of course she was a bit strange, have to be to tolerate him. And he can’t really be bothered by Danny still disapproving of murder and cannibalism. But at least he was making jokes about it now instead of having a mild meltdown, positives Lewis. “As I was told, it was explicitly directly after, Vee was _very_ pleased about that. Anne, not so much. Eddie...I really don’t know but I’d say he was cool with it. And yes, she’s a bit odd herself. She’s also a lawyer”. 

Danny laughs, that was a bit ironic that someone working within the law was explicitly and emphatically friends with two someone’s severely outside of it, “a morally questionable lawyer, a morbid socially unacceptable doctor, a moonlighting murderer muckraker reporter, and an exiled body-snatching alien. That’s one Hell of a quartet. Got a name yet?”. 

Lewis raises an eyebrow, name? Though yeah they were an odd group, “no? What do you mean by name? And in that case, you’re an over-protective paranoid hero halfa”. 

Danny chuckles, that was accurate, “true story. My group are the Defect Quartet. ‘Cause we’re all too strange and outside of the norm to be anything but defective. Used to be the Weirdo Trio before Val came along. Before that, the nerd herd. The goth, the geek, the gunner, and the ghost. An insanely wealthy vegan social activist goth, an absurdly carnivorous hacker geek, a riches to rags pessimist weapons enthusiast, and a punny battered ghostly hero. Though I’m usually called the graceless or the gauche. Since the ghost thing ain’t public knowledge”. 

Lewis shakes his head, so this was a teenager thing. “Well ‘defect’ definitely doesn’t suit my group so to speak. We’re all rather successful and accomplished”. 

“That doesn’t mean shit. I was on the cover of genius magazine once. Saved the purple-backed gorillas from going extinct”.

“That’s one thing, not a career”.

“I like how _that’s _your response, not general confusion. We’re teens, we shouldn’t have careers”.

Lewis nods, very true, but with how Danny lived, “what do you even intend to do? Eddie only gets away with the vigilante side gig because he’s his own boss mostly and even when he’s not, he’s on his own schedule. He can only really do that because he had already built up a name for himself. That and he lives extremely low budget”. 

Danny groans exaggeratedly, adults and their ‘what are you gonna do with your life’ and ‘you need to think about your future young man’ and ‘what are your plans? How are going to support yourself’ and ‘hobbies are fine but you need a real focus’. Groaning a second time for emphasis, “don't know ‘bout Val. Sam’s the only heir in her family, she doesn’t really have a choice what she does, Manson’s don’t work. Tucker’s either going into politics, the government, or rising up into ownership of a tech company. I wanted to be an astronaut but my physiology makes that impossible, if my folks chill it with the ghost hate then I’ll probably take over FentonWorks. Otherwise, I got nothing. Well, human wise anyway. Could just fuck off to the Zone-”. 

“Kid, no. Running away is not how you fix or achieve something. You’re right about NASA though. We’ve got a long drive, so what else you got?”.

Danny groans again, “nada. My grades are shit, I’d have to be able to run my own schedule and be able to drop it like someone just set it on fire at any moment. Because superheroing is _not _a side gig, it’s the main gig. And technically, running off to the Zone isn’t running from my problems. I belong there as much as I do here. Sure I was born here, but so were most ghosts”. 

Lewis tilts his head, so that was another different, Danny valued and placed the vigilantism as top priority. And fine, ghosts did belong to the Zone. “that’s fair. But what would you even do there?”. 

Danny snickers making Lewis a little cautious of the response, “ghosts are pretty free things. Build and protect your lair, satisfy your Obsession. If you’re part of a clan or kingdom then it’s a fair bit more”, chuckling because at this point might as well just startle the guy, “if I moved there I’d probably rise to claim my place as King properly”.

Lewis coughs, unsure if that’s a joke, “King?”. 

Danny chuckles, Lewis able to hear the shit-eating grin in his voice, “I’m a prince, Lewis. In two kingdoms actually. A knight in four and worshipped as a god by one clan. Don’t ask how that last one happened because I don’t know. They’ve been calling me ‘Great One’ and ‘Saviour’ since I first ran into them”, Lewis is silent so Danny laughs and just continues, “Sam’s also a Princess in one and knighted in two. Tuck’s a Baka, meaning prince but in Egyptian, in one and knighted in two. Val’s the exception”. 

Lewis blinks and watches the road before shaking his head, Danny’s life was legitimately completely crazy, “you absolutely have the strangest life. I’m not sure if I should fear the idea of you being a king”. He clearly could act the role and have a commanding presence, but he was firmly still a disaster. 

“You should have seen the other guy! He was so bad they locked him in what was basically a coma for, like, over a thousand years. When he woke up they all _fled_. I found out and through some crazy bullshit wound up beating him back into a coma. The other king who became my punching bag, abducted and tried to forcibly wed Sam, trapped his kingdom into a no happiness allowed technology-free dark age and abused his sister. His sister’s queen now but I’m considered prince and heir to the throne should she fade”. 

Lewis shakes his head, yeah was kind of hard to do worse than that, “so, tyrants then? Who the heck’s ruling the first one?”.

“Uhhhh, no one? Hasn’t been ruled in forever so no ruler is basically the norm now. Kind of unnecessary. But for, like, who does the duties. A collection of asshole ghosts who can only watch but never interfere. They _hate _me. Like, a lot. Tried to assassinate me once. Anyway, that particular throne is more representative. A figurehead but with power if they want. Sorta a make it your own and do whatever you want kind of role”. 

“So the Queen of England? But with even less responsibilities? That barely counts as a king or prince”.

Danny chuckles, “so long as nothing threatens the entirety of the Zone or ghosts. I’m understating the role a bit. See humans are all broken up yeah? You’re not united under the Earth or whatever. Well, ghosts _are_ united under the Zone as a whole. Meaning there’s a ruler of the _entire Zone_. The King, or Prince right now, Of Ghosts. The Ghost King, the Ghost Prince. Yeeeeaaaaah”. 

Lewis pulls into his driveway and just stares forward for a bit, “are you, are you trying to tell me you’re the rightful ruler of an _entire species and dimension?_”. 

“Yes? Pretty much yeah. And your car turned off. We there yet? You gonna let me outta here?”. 

Lewis is nearly having a mild freak out of his own. This random child of long-time friends is the prince and thus future king of an entire species. Basically the most powerful ruler even remotely possible. And he’s in Lewis’s wallet, complains about weak coffee, gets beat up by bullies, and his seemingly biggest problem is what his folks think of him. The utter normalcy of that is kind of jarring but also really calming. Shaking his head, “yes, yeah. Your tail working yet?”. 

Danny snorts, “looks like I freaked ya again. And I don’t fucking know dude, I don’t actually have a body at the moment. Jus a disembodied voice and mind floating in a thermos full of ectoplasm”. 

Lewis tilts his head, Vee’s probably said that before; being a technical liquid and all. Just floating in a test tank thing instead of a soup thermos. Shrugging and taking out his wallet, unclipping the thermos and going through the motions of getting Danny out. Which is still very strange. As Danny comes out via another bream of light, basically laying across the shotgun seat and looking slightly disoriented. 

Danny shakes his head and smirks, “THE DANNY IS FREE! FOR NO CYLINDRICAL SOUP CAN CAN HOLD HIM!”. 

Lewis looks at the thermos and quirks an eyebrow. Danny, spotting this, promptly grabs his thermos, “and I’ll be taking that back now”. Which Lewis chuckles at. While Danny looks out the window at Lewis’s house, tilting his head, huh, it was a bit smaller than expected. 

While Lewis looks down and notes that Danny’s black tail is wiggling somewhat again, good. Before getting out of the car and holding the door open, “you should probably make yourself invisible at least until we’re inside”. 

Danny chuckles and does that as he floats out after Lewis. He was damn happy to be floating again, zipping around the house some and winding through things; Lewis unawares. Even if it was a bit difficult and jerky. Shaking his head at Lewis holding the door open a bit awkwardly. Whispering at him, “I can go through things remember? Didn’t need to open the door at all”. 

Lewis rolls his eyes and shakes his head as he heads into the kitchen, “that would be rather rude of you”. 

Danny chuckles as he seats himself on one of the little stools, coiling his tail up in case this ‘Anne’ walks in. Popping back into visibility, and petting the cat that comes up, “I’ve stolen people's cups of water while flying through airplanes. It’s actually so common it’s something planes flying over Amity warn their passengers about, the random dead teen who might fly through the floor and take your drinks or food. But at least he says thank you?”. 

Lewis shakes his head as he starts on making a noodle dish, “at least most of that is free”. Mixing in the broth and debating what else to put in, tilting his head around, “what kinds of veggies and meats do you like?”. 

Danny shrugs, he’ll eat _almost _anything, “I’ve eaten sporks. Just don’t serve me toast and you’re good”. 

Lewis points at him as he gets peppers and celery, “Eddie and Vee have eaten probably a little of everything at this point. Doesn’t mean they don’t have tastes”. 

Danny stares at him and waits for him to turn around before grabbing one of the knives on the table -why do they keep them on the table of all places?- and just swallows it. 

Lewis gives him a rather unimpressed look, which Danny’s slightly miffed about. At least Sam looked at him with disgust. While Lewis says, “those are expensive you know”. Danny rolls his eyes and phases the knife out of his stomach and waves it around, stabbing one of the larger pieces of pepper as Lewis puts his plate down. 

Both turn their heads to the door as they can both hear a key going in the lock. Lewis blinks and realises a slight error on his part, looking at Danny quickly, “wife saw me googling you as Phantom. Doesn’t know names or what your human self looks like, so positives”. 

Danny groans and glares at Lewis, he can smell it’s a girl and it matches the other prominent human scent in the house so he transforms and glares a little harder at Lewis. Taking the knife out of his mouth and stabbing another pepper a bit unnecessarily aggressively, “not cool doc“. Of course, this means there’s no damn point in hiding the tail, so he just lets it wind around the stool legs. 

Lewis shrugs, he wasn’t about to claim to be perfect, as Anne walks in. 

Anne looks at the table only glancing at the glowing black and white teenager with a knife in his mouth for a beat before nonchalantly taking off her shoes, “hi honey and hello patient that _someone_ is decidedly not supposed to be bringing home”.

Lewis smiles, “guys with guns came to abduct him”. Danny glares at him slightly. While Anne shakes her head, “at least they weren’t successful this time”, as she walks up and kisses Lewis on the cheek and sits at the table. 

Danny looks at her, “seriously? That’s all the reaction you’re gonna give me?”.

Lewis just smirks as he eats his food. Anne looking Danny over before giving him a sweet smile and patting his head, “interesting voice you’ve got, just don’t go making Dan a tag-along for blowing up rockets”.

Lewis looks between the two a little awkwardly as Danny winces, which Anne definitely notices and raises an eyebrow at Lewis. No one saying anything for a bit before the cat sticks his tail in Danny’s face. Effectively breaking the growing tension as Danny chuckles, “if your name’s Maddie, I will be very concerned”. 

Anne shakes her head, “mines Anne”.

“No, the cat. An evil Frootloop has a cat named Maddie”.

Anne shakes her head, “no, he’s Mr. Belvedere”. While Lewis finds it arguably quite creepy one of Danny’s enemy’s named their cat after Danny’s mom. 

Danny smiles and pokes the cat, mentally shaking off the whole ‘Dan’ name, figuring he should probably attempt at getting used to that since his folks are going to call Lewis that too. “Well hello then. I probably smell pretty weird”.

Lewis thinks that’s probably an understatement but he was used to Vee’s scent by now so more strange smelling people isn’t probably all the weird. 

Mr. Belvedere meanwhile, is just pleased that this strange smelling and looking creature _isn’t_ attempting to bite him. Even if this one seems to be a predator just like the other one. This one seems at least a little similar to the other glowing creatures he sees sometimes. He likes to chase the little ones around but this one is clearly far stronger. He can tell when It touches him, the power thrumming under Its long paws so similar to the twolegs he lives with. Like the other strange creature, this one can look just like the twolegs he’s familiar with. He finds that is quite a useful trick, blending in with potential prey and tricking other predators into underestimating them. He’s seen how the occasional twoleg that fancies Itself a predator wound up the prey for the other strange creature. He hopes that one enjoys Its plentiful meals. Tilting his head at this strange creature, wondering if It stalks twolegs too. Putting on a protective front, because these are his twolegs, and demanding, “you best not hunt my twolegs”. He had to bat at the black part of the other strange predator before It got the messages to not nip at _his_ Twolegs. Only _he _gets to do that. 

Danny looks at the cat, which has his ears pinned back and Danny can easily pick up on the stiff battle-ready posture. How he partly blocks Danny’s line of view of Anne, it was obvious the cat was being protective. Officially glad this is a cat, not a dog, as cats were much more sensitive to ghosts. Meaning kitty would be able to somewhat understand ghost speak. Making sure to keep his fangs retracted, “I̛’̶m a̕ ͠p͏͏̧r͞͝o̵͟͜t҉͘e̷̸c͝͏̛t҉įv̴͞e̛ th̢̡i͜͏̵n͏g̵̵͝.̸̸ ̕͠I͠ ̕do̸n’͝t͟ ̧h̸̡ar̵m͢ ̵͞͞m͠or̨͟͞t̨a̛lş”. Mr. Belvedere seems pacified by that and promptly stalks off, laying on the ground to clean over his fur. 

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, “what was that about?”. While Anne laughs lightly, mouthing ‘wow’, before saying, “he listened to you I think, that’s quite the feat”. 

Danny chuckles and rubs his neck, “he was being protective of you. So I just told him I wasn’t a threat. Cats are more sensitive to ghosts, so they can understand us to a degree”.

Anne tilts her head, “you’re a ghost?”, looking at Lewis, “why would a ghost need a surgeon?”. 

Danny smirks and stretches his arms out some, “okay cool, you didn’t go opening your yap much”, shrugging, “but you know shit. You’re murder buddies know shit. Don’t know your wife though. So maybe”. 

Anne nearly snorts over ‘murder buddies’, very similar to ‘murder friends’ and a bit surprised that someone Dan described as ‘more moral than every doctor ever’ is tolerant of said murder friends. Shaking her head but smiling slightly, “I’m surprised you’re okay with those two. Pleased, but surprised. Which is good, because I absolutely will protect them if you threaten them”. 

Danny chuckles a bit meanly but finishes off his food before responding, “you could attempt to sure. There’s a reason people make entire careers out of and dedicate their whole lives to fighting things like me, yet still find themselves unsuccessful and outmatched. But I’m no threat, so long as my humans aren’t threatened. I’m not okay with what they do, I’m okay with _why_ they do it”. 

Anne crosses her arms, “I've helped destroy body-snatching world-destroying aliens. I can fight _very_ dirty”. 

Danny snorts, “a lawyer? Fighting dirty? Why I _never_. Won’t do any good though, I never expect fair fights”, tilting his head and chuckling, “that’s what happens when you’re archenemy’s entire thing is being underhanded and fighting dirty. Not to mention one of the wealthiest people in the world, basically a mad scientist, and politically skilled”. 

Lewis and Anne share a look, Lewis pointing at Danny, “that sounds a lot like Drake. Filthy rich mad scientist with his foot in politics. Also had the other surviving Symbiote”, looking at Anne, “Riot right?”, at Anne’s nod Lewis continues, “Riot was older, stronger, more abilities and pretty well played into Drakes desires to trick him”.

Anne nods, “Drake was a fool”.

Danny tilts his head, that was freakishly similar to Vlad, “so Drake’s the crazy entrepreneur who brought them here from space? Which by the way, is still super awesome because space! And yeah, that’s sounds really similar to the Frootloop. Just both Drake and Riot combined into one batshit crazy prick. Throw in a bunch of lackies and way too much free time”, tilting his head and pointing at Lewis, “and didn’t you say crazy human was trying to improve humanity or something? Make them able to survive in space?”, at Lewis’s nod and the curious look to his eyes, Danny continues, “yeah, my unlovable Frootloop pretty well never has good reasons for anything. Very selfish and will do anything from attempting to blow people up with nanobots to cloning and very extreme inhumane experimentation”, shrugging, “usually it’s for power, even more money, to murder one very specific guy, to get the women he’s Obsessed with, or to force me to be his son”. 

Lewis nods, conceding that those motivations weren’t remotely positive and got progressively more strange. Anne shakes her head ever so slightly, “Drake would likely have approved any inhumane practices to get what he wanted. Even if he had marginally better reasons”. 

Danny points at her, “Frootloop does everything himself. His lackies are basically just scouts and attack dogs. Who would have thought, a sorta politician dirtbag who actually _does_ the nasty work”, yawning and nodding at Lewis, “soooo, you gonna trace lines on my skin with your silver sharp friends?”. 

Anne makes a point to not visually react to that, this kid, who’s name she still didn’t have, _was _quite a bit like Lewis, Eddie and Vee. There was also a level of restraint and caution to him, was a bit like her. 

Lewis shakes his head but gets up to fetch his supplies, “that won’t be necessary for redoing bandaging and burns. Though please let _me_ take off the braces”, pausing to point at him, “and make them actually on you”. Danny rolls his eyes but transforms under them to make them on top but Phantom designed. 

Anne blinks, that was almost as startling as Vee randomly becoming or changing Eddie’s clothing. Looking to Lewis, “I’m truly impressed a ghost can get injured enough for all that”. 

Lewis shouts from a few rooms over, “he’s not! Just pretending to be!”. 

Anne looks to Danny with ‘why are you putting him through this?’ eyebrows. Danny chuckles, “the hospital and my family would be suspicious if I didn’t play injured. Since none of them know I’m a ghost and thus heal _super_ fast”. 

Lewis comes back in and pulls a stool over by Danny. Anne looks at him slightly unimpressed, “do I want to know? Or is this a plausible deniability thing?”.

Danny sighs and leans back wistfully as Lewis removes the second wrist/hand brace, “I wish more people didn’t question my crap and just wrote it off as ‘I probably shouldn’t know’”.

Anne levels him with a slight glare, “Eddie knows not to abuse it, you should know that too. Especially since it’s clear you’re going to be close with and involved with my family. Eddie’s an asshole but he only keeps the highly legally questionable actions to himself”. 

Danny gives a bit of a shit-eating grin, “my existence is highly legally and logically questionable”. 

“Does it involve murder? No? Then I want to hear it”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “most ghosties didn’t die pleasantly so _technically_.....”.

Lewis looks at Danny with a slightly unimpressed glare, “considering what little you have said of the how, I don’t believe murdered applies to you”.

Danny points at Lewis after slipping off the torso brace, “at the very least it’s negligent homicide. Because seriously? who leaves a secondary on switch inside an inter-dimensional portal and _forgets about it_. And who dares someone to walk inside it?”. 

Lewis points at him, “and who willing does it? Also, I need this suit off”.

Debating who’s at fault and the definition of ‘the crime’ is pretty normal for Anne, just not usually debating it with the ‘victim’ when it’s about murder, “verbal dares can’t be reasonably proven and won’t hold up before any court of law. If you walked in of your own free will, likely aware of the fact that doing so was almost certainly unsafe, you’re the one who committed negligent homicide”, waving her hand around, “but no one’s going to charge the dead with their own death. If someone tries, then consider me your lawyer, because I absolutely want to be on that case”. 

Danny blinks and starts laughing, unzipping and peeling off his suit and letting it float around his waist, simply phasing off the bandaging, “lady you do not want to be my lawyer. I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t even hold up in ghost court. Besides, I don’t care if _I _get charged with shit. I’ll just blow up the prison again. Or make time paradoxes so they can’t sentence me to destruction, again. But I’m a _minor_ and it’s partly _my parents' fault_. Family house is a death trap. There’s probably a million cases of negligence to be made”. 

Lewis, asking the thing that really matters as he inspects Danny’s skin, noting that it’s much colder now and the scars are barely visible, “you destroyed a prison? Why?”. 

While Anne frowns tightly, that would be negligent if what killed him was just left around in the house unsecured. Definitely child endangerment as well. But he had made it clear enough that he doesn’t want them in trouble, “yes, that does change it a fair bit”, tilting her head, “though being a lawyer in ghost court would certainly be a new challenge”.

While Danny points at Lewis, “I’ve blown it up once or twice a year so far. The Warden _hates _me, so he gives me every charge he can think up. He’s made new rules on the spot to charge me with it. Last time he yelled the sentence I owed it was, like, over fifty thousand”, while Lewis just looks slightly impressed, Danny points at Anne, “ghost laws are probably both less and more complicated. Minora law, Majora law, the Seals, Commons Of The Deathless Unfades, Commons Of The Undead, the Kings Decrees, and The Law Of Ages”, shrugging, “ghosts are pretty lawless though, so unless you _really _fuck up, no one really gives a damn....except Walker, who’s that one Warden”.

Anne leans forward as Lewis finishes wrapping Danny’s arm, letting Danny lower his arm...well one anyway as he wraps the other, Anne inquiring, “is there books on these? Could you borrow them?”. 

That was not what Danny was expecting, she _really _likes what she does, “Walker’s got his own special rule book, A.K.A. it’s not official at all. But yeah there’s books. Not for the Commons though, those are, like, forbidden knowledge for mortals; even many ghosts. And there isn’t any Kings Decrees right now”. 

Lewis eyeballs Danny who blushes slightly, making it very obvious that these decrees were basically his to make. While Anne quints slightly, “why would law be forbidden? That is explicitly a disclosure violation”. 

Danny shakes his head as Lewis goes about putting the braces back on, “Commons only apply to those specified. And they know about what they entail”, yawning again, course he knew what both Commons were about. Since ClockWork was an Unfade and Danny was an Undead. 

The two adults shake their heads and basically carry the partly floating sleepy teen to the spare bedroom. Eddie wouldn’t mind and Vee would only bitch about the strangers' scent for a little bit. Anne nodding, “that’s a bit better then”. 

Danny mumbles from the bed as Anne’s dragging Lewis off. “By the way doc? Tots forgot. Undead’s another term for halfa”. 

Lewis crawls into bed seriously wondering what was in this special section of ghost law -still pleasantly surprised that was a thing- that applied to Danny. 

* * *

Anne wakes up that morning and walks out of the bedroom door, hearing someone going through the kitchen. Walking in cautiously only to see a black-haired teen inside one of the cupboards, watching as he sticks his head and one arm out, box of crackers in his mouth. “Who are you and why are you in my house?”.

“Yurf iimpif’d ve”, she stares him down so he spits out the box on the ground, “you invited me. Technically Lewis, but still”, before slipping out of the cupboard and grabbing the crackers. 

It clicks pretty much as soon as she sees the kid has a black misty tail instead of legs; same as the ghost. Then mentally slapping herself for not recognising the face and hairstyle, “you’re the patient. You look very human for a ghost. You also still haven’t told me your name”. 

“That’s me! And-”, Danny gets cut off by the microwave. 

Microwave: “Crap fuck I think it work-oh bullshit you idiot, we’ve been trying for-no seriously I swore I heard him-oh that’s crap-I don’t care if it’s crap you better have found him-why does no one believe in me?-because you’re a fucking cree-hey! Look at me I’m glori-more like dead, I will personally shove my boot up your ass if y-oh I’d like to see you try! Go on! My ass is fucking _wide_-what the fuck is wrong with both of you? How bout I just start shooting stuff?-go right ahead fuck if I care-if you destroy Cheryl I will shank you with her corpse!-”.

Lewis walks in at this point looking like he slept hard yet was still impeccable, he grabs a coffee and just stares at the microwave. 

Microwave: “-oh shove it you walking animal corpse garbage bag-no you shove it ya fucking lawnmower-I vote we feed both of you to the plant-she has better tastes than that-at least she enjoys some proper mea-HOW ABOUT YOU LOWJACK YOUR ASS OFF AND DO SOMETHING USEFUL-oh don’t you get smarmy with me, I fucking _hijack _shit-do I care? NO, just fucking-how about this you two colossal twats! YOU BETTER PICK UP OR ONE ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING PIECE OF SHIT IS GOING TO JACK OFF YOUR ENTIRE HOUSE INTO THE SEA!-why the fuck would I do that to a house?-are you claiming to have even an ounce of standards?-”.

Danny lays on the floor and just starts wheezing and mutters, “how the fuck do you pick up a microwave call....”. 

Lewis points his coffee cup rim at Danny, “I’m more curious about how they called a microwave”. 

Anne shakes her head, “I’m just glad I’m a morning person”. 

Microwave: “-oh GO EAT SOCK-wait shut the fuck up! I totally heard someone-of course you fucking did! You’re probably confusing some old lady!-”.

Anne, sounding almost offended, “I’m not that old”. 

Microwave: “-oh fuck damn a lady! _Hello_-the fuck is wrong with you? We’re trying to make sure someone’s not fucking dead or some shit! She probably thinks you’re like twelve-he is twelve-oh fuck you! I could totally date an older woman!-so what I’m hearing is you’re twelve-FUCK OFF AND EAT A TEN FOOT SNOW MONSTER! IT FITS WITH YOUR STUPID DIET!-OH YOU WANNA GO THERE BLOODMOUTH! HOW ABOUT YOU FIND THE FIVE FOOT ONE FIRST!-”.

Danny wheezes but shouts at the microwave, “five foot four you asshole!”. 

Microwave: “FUCK OFF DANNY THIS DOESN'T INVOLVE YO-**DANNY**!-ARE YOU OKAY! -DID YOU DIE!-IF YOU’RE BEING DISSECTED PLEASE DON’T SCREAM BY THE MIC!-WHAT THE FUCK TUCKER?!?-”.

Danny floats up and shouts right at the microwave, “SHUT THE FUCK UP! You’re confusing Doc and his lady!”. 

Anne blinks, speaking into her hands, “confused might be understating it”. 

Microwave: “Okay okay, shhhh shhhh, all o’ y’all shut up. Danny dude, you fucking asshole. Didn’t even fucking call. You better be fucking dying or I will personally finish what you started. Stitch and fucking ditch dude. Not cool. Now are you dying a horrible slow and painful death at the hands of a bunch of idiots that Sam will have to bludgeon to death?-bludgeon? Are you underestimating me? I will personally stuff their organs with bramble thorns, turn them into scarecrows and beat the others up with said scarecrows if those fuckers hurt hi-”.

Danny clears his throat, “not to get in the way of your dramatics Sam, but I’m fine. Am I not allowed to sleep?”.

Microwave: “USE LEWIS’S PHONE!”.

Lewis nods, “fair point”. 

Danny sticks his arms out to the side, “I got distracted by politics!”.

Microwave: “Oh, that’s reasonable then. So you’re not being tortured or something?”.

Danny chuckles and shakes his head, “no Tuck, no I’m not”. 

Microwave: “Oh good then. You, go tell his folks he’s fine and with doctor dude. Danny, you absolute asshole, Ancients are you lucky we were able to get your parents to _not_ go on a search and destroy mission. They went to go see you, we went with ‘cause we knew shit was going down, and they actually saw those white-suit twats leaving with the big ass transport truck. They nearly nuked them on the spot. Your dad can be _terrifying_”. 

Danny rubs his neck, of course this had caused even more problems. But yeah, he probably should have called _someone_. Well at least no one had gotten hurt and the reminder that they would assault the government for him was rather heartwarming. “Thanks guys, that must have been a bi-”.

Microwave: “DANNY SWEETIE! Are you alright!”.

Danny chuckles slightly, “I’m fine mom”. 

Anne is extremely confused at this point. Danny was a ghost and was apparently still ‘living’ with his living family? And why were the teens she’s assuming are his friends asking if he’s dead or dying? Ghost does mean dead, Danny had already confirmed he was dead. Inside jokes possibly? Or, Danny could look completely ‘alive’ so maybe they didn’t even know? 

While Lewis walks closer to the microwave, this is definitely the strangest house call he’s ever been involved in, “he’s perfectly fine Maddie. He spent the night in my and my wife’s spare bedroom. I apologise for not informing you but it was special circumstances”. 

Microwave: “oh don’t worry about that, we get it. So long as Danny-boy’s alright!-but what about his injuries? He can’t go back to the hospital with those _men _there”.

Lewis taps his chin, “well, the best option would be to have Danny here go home and I’ll deal with the hospital before taking him over. That way he isn’t without a skilled doctor. My place is impressively well equipped, So he’ll be fine here in the meantime”. 

Microwave: “Yes that should work fine, thank you Dan. We’ll give you back to your friends sweetie-so we can get your things ready!”.

Danny groans quietly, seriously hoping they didn’t do anything to his room. There was more than a few questionable things in there, especially in the walls and floor. 

Microwave: “Alright you reckless idiot, it’s just me and Tuck now. Valerie’s off looking for asshole agents to shoot at-oh Danny dude, I took samples from the quote-unquote ‘rain’. Pretty nasty shit. Paraparetic properties, corrosive, toxic fumes, tranquillising properties. Just oof dude. And doctor dude, before you ask, yes I did have the other patients files and stuff, it’s in your pager-move aside Tucker, you better have some damn food Danny-”.

Lewis and Anne both gape slightly as the microwave pops open and an apple rolls out, Danny easily catching it and then pulling out what looks to be a pop or a milkshake in a fast food cup. Danny rolling his eyes as he puts it on the table, closing the door, “mother-henning me much? I’m sorry for worrying you guys okay? And I promise I’m a not any deader, just work on making sure my house is _actually safe_”. 

Microwave: “done and done dude, you look after yourself for a change ya?-Danny? Are you dating Valerie again, cause you better fuckin-AND I’M HANGING UP!”. The microwave beeps and Danny can’t help but float towards the ground and laugh. 

Danny floats up and leans against the counter and picks up the apple, pointing at Lewis, “hopefully an apple a day won’t keep this doctor away. Whatcha gonna tell whoever the Zone happens to be above you?”, taking a bite out of the apple. 

Anne shakes her head, that was almost as confusing as when Vee starts talking in Eddie’s head in the middle of conversations. Getting up and heading to get dressed, “you’re stranger than just a ghost, aren’t you?”. 

Danny glances at the microwave, fuck it, “half-ghost!”. Danny gives her points for not even pausing in her walking. 

Taking another bite and looking to Lewis, pointing over his shoulder and swallowing, “she’s used to weird crap getting dropped out of nowhere huh?”. 

Lewis nods, firmly more curious over the apple that’s leaving green smears on Danny’s face, “Vee’s very blunt and sometimes gives way too much detail. What kind of apple is that?”.

Danny takes a sip of what he knows is a milkshake...well, ectoshake, “ghost food. Zones gots its own flora, fauna, ecosystem, etcetera. Part of how my body works is absorbing free-floating ectoplasm and converting it into my own. Expelling used stuff as latent ectoplasm. Kinda like breathing. Human side lets me self produce though. But-”, holding up the apple, “-ectofood is like putting on an oxygen mask or getting a transfusion. That, and just tastes good”. 

Danny’s a little concerned as Lewis leans over the ectoshake, “don’t drink that. You’ll hurt yourself”. Lewis waves him off, “corrosive, toxic, poisonous; I remember. I like my throat and stomach intact”. 

Danny wipes his face and both turn, hearing Anne’s heels clicking on the floor. Danny shakes his head at the sharp pantsuit, “please tell me Eddie doesn’t also dress absurdly impeccably and put together? Cause I dress like I fished my clothing out of slightly bio-hazardous dumpsters and am usually basically swimming in my clothing”. 

Anne laughs slightly while Lewis laughs more noticeably, Anne shaking her head, “Eddie and well-dressed don’t exist in the same dimension. He often wears the same clothing for days and his clothing is usually lifted off criminals. Vee is his clothing sometimes”. Lewis nods, speaking and pointing at Anne, “he looks more put together when Vee has literally dressed him”. 

Danny sighs, firmly ignoring that this guy just wears his victims clothing. Chuckling a little awkwardly, “I wore the same shirt and pants for a year. Didn’t even notice for the first four months. Kinda busy being all kinda dead. Though they were washed. I just happen to have three different pairs of the same clothing. Well one got destroyed via impalement, way too much blood”. 

Anne blinks, Eddie said that once about his hair when he got himself drenched once. Lewis was right, they had a lot in common. Nodding with a smile at Danny, “you’ll get along, be good for Eddie I hope”, patting Lewis’s shoulder before giving him a quick kiss, “smart man, see you later, Dan dear”. 

“Always honey, enjoy your day”. 

Danny suppresses a wince and continues with his food while Lewis waves at him, “I’m going to deal with the hospital”. Danny just chuckles and watches him go. 

Danny sits watching tv and chipping away at the ectoshake, chuckling over how much more erratically his tail’s vibrating and wiggle when left to its own devices now. Ancients did it ever make it easy to tell how healthy he, particularly how healthy his ghost half, was. Curling the tip into his hand and giving it a good more awake look over, there was still tiny holes but they were pretty well done away with at this point. Definitely hurt a little, but for him that wasn’t really noticeable. 

Putting down the shake and deciding to float around some, use up a bit of the excess ectoenergy. It was practically singing in his veins and peaking in on Lewis would just be a little too boring right now. That’s one aspect of being in a powerful position that Danny is pretty well not envious of; dealing with underlings, paperwork, and being the one at fault if shit goes south. Sure Danny already got blamed for just short of everything by many adults; Phantom _and _Fenton. But that wasn’t for, like, executive decisions or situations with many good choices. Most of Danny’s crap was either: protect and thusly deal with/get blamed for the fall out (poor grades, damages, skipped class, being noisy, anti-social, pissing off hunters in general) or let someone or something be genuinely harmed. Pretty easy obvious choice. One he knows he can’t _really _choose differently on, Obsession and all that. Leadership and powerful roles were less black and white. 

Danny snickers and starts intangibly snooping through Lewis’s cupboards for weird foods or anything funny really. Only for a box of caramelised eel to fall through his head, “alright that’s pretty odd, at least it’s not, like, Venom’s leftovers or something”, Danny frowns, what _would_ he do if he came across that? It’s not like he wouldn’t be able to tell, the smell would tip him off immediately. If it was just like....a _chunk_...he’d probably just stare at it and nope the fuck out, close the fridge or cupboard or whatever. Just firmly ignore it. But something like...._a full-blown body?._...he’d probably either freeze up or freak out. Or go really batshit. He’s never actually seen a dead body since the whole..._Dan_...thing. So it probably would not trigger good, kind, happy, parts of his brain. He imagines it would go one of two ways. Either it would bring out his inner _Dan_, which would be really bad. Or he’d go exactly the opposite, like when he actually dealt with him, protective and resolute. Which would be more likely, hopefully. 

Lewis is firmly tickled pink, as far as his hospital was aware Danny had been transferred to Amity’s hospital. Which seems to have downright ridiculously horrible paperwork and systems for keeping track of patients; a lot of that actually seems to be Phantom’s fault because he just_ shows up with people_ randomly, even at two a.m.. People even seem to just leave without even bothering to check-out. That and apparently files get corrupted and _possessed_ somewhat often. Lewis somehow doubts Danny and his friends are at fault for all of it. So no one will really raise any eyebrows at not being able to find Danny in the Amity hospital system. Even with Lewis still acting as his doctor and supposedly going between the two hospitals. Pushing his study door open, all that really mattered now was when Danny wanted to head home and watching out for those agents. Because, of course, if the same three agents spot him at the Fenton’s house it’ll tip them off. 

Looking around the living-room, slightly surprised he’s not watching tv and resting _like he should be_. Walking into the kitchen and quirking an eyebrow over what he’s sure is part of Danny’s tail sticking out through the sink countertop; looks a bit like someone just left a sliced in half black circle on the counter, that moves. Which definitely reminds him of Vee, just seeing random bits of black _something _was pretty come-by. “What are you doing?”, walking over as the tail just moves through the countertop and slips fully through it like it’s not really there. Before Danny’s head just pokes up through it, “snooping, seeing some of the weird stuff people have in their house is interesting and a good way to find their suspicious shit”. 

This just serves to remind Lewis just how paranoid Danny is, “well I wouldn’t recommend doing that at Eddie’s apartment. If those two have something hidden I’d rather it stay that way. Anyway, the hospital thinks you’re in Amity’s hospital. But your cities hospital has probably the worst systems I’ve ever seen, so you not actually being there won’t be noticed”. 

If anything Danny’s actually _more_ likely to look through their place, partly out of morbid curiosity and partly just out of needing to make sure there’s nothing bad. Shrugging and phasing out of the cupboards/sink, sitting on the countertop, “if you’re fine with possibly accidentally setting off a weapon or some other device, then snooping the Fenton household is really interesting even if you live there. But yeah, shouldn’t really snoop my room in truth. And you’re still going to be functionally moving in right? Cause if you now have to go through Amity’s hospital for approval, that’ll be a problem”.

Lewis pours himself some coffee, pushing a cup to Danny as well. It was fairly obvious why looking for hidden stuff where Eddie, or more specifically Vee, lived was probably a bad and unpleasant idea. There is no way either of them clean up everything, and he firmly doubts Vee doesn’t take home snacks; whether Eddie knows or not would be debatable. The only things Lewis can think Danny might hide would be stuff good for his ghost part, medical stuff, and maybe weapons. “What could be so bad in your room? Other than to your parents anyway. You are a teenager after all. And you do have a lot in common with Eddie, the things he hid from his, I don’t really wann-”.

Danny pulls a face and cuts him off, “Lewis! Ancients no! Even if I did hide or have whatever I think you happen to be implying -which I don’t, do you seriously think I have time or focus on _that_?- why I’d be concerned about that? My room’s probably a weapons and bio hazard”, shaking his head and glaring at Lewis’s smirk, “stop that you”, rolling his eyes at Lewis just smirking more, “ignoring your bullshit now. As I like to say, my room would make a crime-scene investigator cry, the cleanup crew might just quit outright”. 

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, “okay, why? Also, why would it be a problem if I needed Amity’s hospitals' approval? I don’t, but curiosity”. Amity’s Hospital didn’t seem to have much in the way of actually followed rules and regulations. Sure his hospital was a little lenient, from what he’d research it seemed every hospital that dealt with Amity Parkers was, but his hospital was still much more likely to say no. 

Danny chuckles, he’d almost like to see some poor out of town investigators go through his room with a fine-toothed comb, “I give myself and get medical treatment in my room Lewis, and I don’t have to worry about infections; so how clean my tools and supplies happens to be doesn’t really matter. If you pulled up my carpet and rung it out, it would bleed. And since I can phase through stuff-”, Danny sticks his cup through the wall and just leaves it in there, “-my walls and floor are my cabinets for everything really questionable or dangerous. I know for a fact there’s at least six bombs in the floor. Lots and lots of stolen property, powerful ghost artefacts. One of my walls is filled with blood and ‘plasm bags, if someone cut that wall open they would literally get a bloodbath”, taking his coffee out of the wall and sipping at it, “and because Amity’s hospital doesn’t allow anyone under their insurance to go inside FentonWorks. I’ve had the hospital head flat-out say he’d put me, as Phantom, on payroll purely to deal with them and their house. Because being dead apparently counts as a preexisting condition that makes me excluded from their insurance”.

Well, Lewis thinks, that’s one way to get out of covering employees; Anne would have a field day with that. And if Vee heard how Danny keeps his room, apparently anyway, they’d nag at Eddie over ‘why can’t we keep snacks in the walls? Eddie?!?’. Which is probably a conversation that would horrify both Eddie and Danny in two very different ways. “I’m going to guess you turned that offer down? And if I can handle being around Vee when they didn’t like me and saw me as the bad guy who attack them with the noisy death machine, I can handle the Fenton house”, pointing his cup at Danny, “and why did you do that to your room? As a doctor, especially your doctor, I definitely can’t approve of using dirty tools and just leaving your mess around”.

Danny rubs at his neck and glances at the clock, Lewis probably didn’t work till the afternoon, “death machine? Now it’s my turn to guess, they have a weakness like how anti-ecto stuff hurts me. And you’re damn right, I am on no one’s payroll”, rolling his eyes some, “and it’s either I leave it in my room, can’t go dumping samples from me anywhere, or I burn it. Once they get _really bad,_ I always burn them. With ecto-fire to be specific. Also, I’m lazy where I can be, namely my own health”, pointing at the clock, “I’m guessing you don’t work till late?”. 

Lewis shakes his head, at least Danny was honest, “correct, late shift today; and I’d say you should care about your health but that would be of as much use as a chocolate fireguard. Though you do have a point, considering your friends destroyed all your samples”, shaking his head with a slight smile, “your guess is right. Loud high pitched sounds and fire, so MRI’s aren’t such a good idea. Basically vibrated right out of Eddie’s skin, lots of screaming and what was basically a seizure”. 

“Oof, sounds like how I died. ‘Cept even more screaming. Like, the entire Zone heard that shit. Also-”, Danny lifts up a finger and lets an ecto-flame burn above it, “-I can be a firebug. And yeah, I’m called a self-sacrificial fool for a reason. I’m durable enough to afford to be”.

Lewis shakes his head, just how many powers did Danny have? “Still should at least somewhat care about your own self. You better not set my friends on fire, and at this point, you might as well just give me a list of abilities instead of just dropping them one by one”.

Danny points at him and telekinetically brings over the rest of his ecto-shake, “they better not hurt my humans. And dude, I frequently forget my powers. That list will not be complete”.

Lewis isn’t sure if that’s worrying, impressive, or sad. Watching the floating drink and Danny drink from it without dropping eye-contact, “a list would still be nice and I won’t make promises for them but I genuinely believe they’ll behave”. 

Danny grumbles, “they better”, before leaning back and shrugging, “yeah I guess randomly springing that, kind of lost the dramatic flare after the duplication stunt”. 

“Yeah, not sure you could pull something more strange. At least Vee’s ability to make multiple heads out of Eddie doesn’t result in a whole nother separate body”. 

Danny gives a devilish grin before opening his mouth and making an arm pop out and wave at Lewis before opening seventeen eyes all over it and making them strobe blue and green. Biting the arm off to dissipate into green fog, seeping into the skin on his face. Smirking at Lewis’s obviously restrained shock, “a lesson best remembered with me, never tempt or encourage body horror. I _love_ that shit”. 

Lewis blinks a few times, he’s both _interested_ to see just how far or extreme Danny could take this and completely wanting to nope out of seeing that. “I am legitimately going to ask you to _never _give Vee ideas. They do enough weird shit to and with Eddie’s body. Can you just, replicate any part of your body anywhere and without limit?”. 

Danny nods, “pretty much. But it uses up ectoplasm and I don’t have an endless supply of that. I think the most heads I’ve had at once was, like, thirty-two. I max out at four full duplicates. Duplicates take way more energy than just general body manipulation. I could pretty well just fill this room with random body parts via body manipulation”. 

Okay Lewis does not need to see that, still extremely interested though. He won’t say no if Danny just does it or offers. He’s not going to make a request though. “So that’s body manipulation, duplication, intangibility, invisibility, transformation, levitation, pyrokinesis, healing factor, heightened durability, and heightened senses. You also said you had most of the same as my friends. So enhanced strength, speed, and just in general defying logic”. 

Danny shakes his head, but chuckles, “Ancients fine, that’s not even half”, Lewis quirks an eyebrow as Danny just starts counting off on his fingers for added flare, “so to add on to what you listed. Everything’s ecto-energy in some way generally. Energy beams, blasts, discs, waves, balls, shields and constructs. Repulsion field and power absorption. Enhancement, as in I can increase my strength beyond its natural level. Electrocution and more general shapeshifting. Photokinesis, Ectokinesis and cryokinesis. Ghost sense and absolute dark vision. I learn super quick, about fourteen hours for new skills or languages. Immunity to some ghost attacks in general, and some anti-ghost stuff while human. Working on teleportation and portal creation, possibly a sleep ray”, Danny tilts his head, “um, oh right. Exorcism, as in I can tear a ghost out of someone; might be able to tear Vee out of Eddie like that actually. Overshadowing of people, technology, and dreams. Like, you know how Vee is basically inside of and able to control Eddie? Yeah that’s basically overshadowing. Possessing someone or something”, chuckling, “could maybe possess Vee, who’s basically possessing Eddie. That would be a trip. And lastly, my sort of trump card power cause it’s super fucking strong. My Ghostly Wail, a super-sonic wail. If I really try I could take out entire cities with it”, shrugging and chuckling a bit awkwardly Lewis just staring at him with a slowly cooling coffee, “did warn ya and then there are the powers I had only temporarily. Weather manipulation and reality control. Oh, also had a time medallion fused in my chest for a while, which excluded me from time itself. By the by, reality control means I could basically do anything. Turned a lady into a duck, altered some people’s memories, altered time, turned a ghost back into a living person; probably a few other things that I don’t really remember”. 

Lewis is honestly wondering if there’s anything Danny _can’t do_. “You have more power than any one person really should have”. 

Danny chuckles and nods, “yeah, though many of my abilities are literally just general ghost shit. Every ghost can use body manipulation, invisibility, intangibility, flight, overshadowing, ecto-beams/blasts, shields, enhanced strength and speed and senses and healing, body manipulation, duplication, photokinesis and absolute dark vision. You just have to learn how. Most ghosts don’t learn how to do everything they’re capable of doing, I do because it always seems to wind up being needed”. 

Lewis shakes his head, that was a bit ridiculous. Ghosts were absurdly powerful beings, “question, why haven’t ghosts just taken us over? Because that would be really easy to do”.

Danny chuckles, “four reasons: humans are seen by many as lesser and thus not worth the effort, have zero interest in the mortal world at all, getting into the mortal world is actually not that easy and ghost can’t actually stay, and lastly, ghosts like me exist to stop the ones that _do_ want to or try to. But in the end, ghosts care about their Obsessions first and foremost, so unless their Obsession is something like ruling or humanity there’s no reason to want to take over mortals”. 

Lewis shakes his head as he goes to get packed to take Danny home, “well that’s comforting, this sounds like a pretty good note to decide to get the probably disturbingly powerful being back to his home. Which I’ve honestly said to Eddie too, come to think of it”. 

Danny chuckles as Lewis walks off, “well it's not hard to be more powerful than humans”, Lewis coming back in only a little bit later, “and yet we often come out on top. You seem more powerful than most ghosts, judging by all the fighting, yet you’re part human”. 

Danny chuckles as he stretches out, slides off the stool, and floats over to the door; inspecting his tail a little as he goes, “being part mortal gives me a big leg up on other ghosts. Being part ghosts gives me a big leg up on other mortals. Also makes me a mortal with ghostly needs and instincts. And a ghost with mortal weaknesses”. 

Lewis closes the car door and looks back to where it sounds like Danny sat in the back, “mortal weakness? Your humanness doesn’t seem to be a weakness”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “I can still _die_ Lewis. I still age, still change”, popping into visibility and pointing at Lewis though laying across the backseat to be hidden, “dead ghosts ain’t meant to change at the base level. Halfas do. Not healthy”.

Lewis tilts his head as he gets up to highway speed, Danny had a good point in a sense, ghost were dead. Weren’t part of the living world and thus didn’t really have to deal with living stuff. But clearly they could be destroyed, which is basically dying. “Well shouldn’t ageing be good for you? Being stuck at fourteen seems pretty unpleasant. Ghosts can be destroyed too, that’s basically dying”. 

Danny sighs slightly, yeah that would be pretty shit but what would he be like as an old man? Heck maybe he _would _stop ageing or changing at some point. Who fucking knows? Halfas were a new species, everything was debatable, unproven, yet to be seen. Didn’t help that the only other natural halfa was one nut short of a fruitcake; not to mention rather reclusive. Shrugging, “being an old man won’t change my Obsession. I’ll still be doing what I’m doing now, might be a little difficult to do that. Ehh, hard to say. The other is as old as my folks, he does fine. Okay, he does fine _physically_. Dying and destruction is odder for me than humans or ghosts. ‘Cause if my ghost’s destroyed then my human’s still here. My human dies then my ghost’s still here. No halfa ever has done either though so everything’s hypothetical. Might not even be possible without the halfs being torn apart first”, Danny shivers slightly, different train of thought, “ghosts that are five thousand years old are nearly no different in base form or personality than when they first formed. That’s part of how they have their spot and place in the Zone, that makes me uncertain, unreliable, and unpredictable to ghosts. And a ghosts base body, skin colour, ears, eyes, hair, yada yada, is pretty well part of who they are. Some look more mortal, some not at all. And while humans are really damn adaptable, there’s a limit to that. Which is why my teeth and face hurts sometimes”. 

“Go to a dentist?”. 

Danny screws up his face before pulling himself up and leaning on the centre console, pushing up his upper lip and extending his fangs. All four sets of them, which yes, are too damn big for his face, “I’ll getz rightz on thatz”. 

Lewis glances at them and yeah okay, dentist would be a bad idea. Though he’s very curious what x-rays of Danny’s teeth would look like. Seems to be those fangs are just part of him, not body manipulation. So there must be pockets in his jaw and skull for them to slide in and out of. Not to mention specialised extra muscles. Yeah, that likely would be rather uncomfortable. Also very obvious Danny’s not used to them, “fair point, grow into them? Eddie and Vee can do a lot of weird stuff with Vee’s teeth, and Vee’s got an obscene amount of teeth. Their face is sixty percent teeth. Though if you’re basically transversing unknown territory then just roll with it. That’s basically what Eddie does, though maybe actually attempt to figure stuff out instead of just shrugging at it”.

Danny chuckles, “maybe I willz grow to fillz ‘em. Andz I’m from a family ofz zvientiztz, ofz courze I ztudy the changez”.

Lewis shakes his head with a slight smile as Danny basically stabs his lower lip and starts bleeding, hearing him groan in annoyance as they enter Amity Park. ‘A nice place to live’ seems a bit funny for it being the most haunted place in the world and who’s town icon -Phantom’s symbol is everywhere, the town clearly likes him more than he’s implied- literally does not live, to public knowledge. Speaking as Danny runs his tongue over his -fangs clearly retracted- teeth and lip, “maybe try talking with them more instead of ignoring them. And good, everyone should be familiar with their bodies. Also, your town loves you”.

Danny rolls his eyes and grumbles, “just because they have the symbol for a famous ghost around doesn’t mean they’re doing it for anything other than popularity and profit. I’m a staple of the town, being a staple doesn’t necessarily mean well-liked. Like rats in New York and-”, Danny cuts himself off at smelling bleach and glimpsing the bumper of a white car, promptly turning himself, Lewis, and the car invisible and intangible. 

“No one puts rats on t-shirts and pins. Also, does your town have weird tingly air? Because something is off”, Lewis blinks, firmly caught off guard as another car's bumper just _goes through_ his own. Looking to Danny who looks slightly mischievous but has a sharpness to his eyes and they’re darting around slightly, in a way that implied lots of practice at making it not noticeable that he was looking for threats. “What’s going on? You can transfer you powers?”. If Danny could push his powers onto other things that was a power in and of itself. Manipulating other things and people. 

Danny sends out a duplicate through his tail to look from above, easily spotting the Agents. Doesn’t look to be the same ones as at the hospital and they look to be carrying around water guns. Which Danny’s going the bet his own eyeballs, are filled with that ‘rain’ liquid. Wonderful. Original Danny hisses, “_G.I.W_.”. 

Lewis restrains a sigh, at least Danny noticed quickly; paranoid but usefully so. Having to make a damn point of not jerking from a car driving straight through him, Danny of course hardly seems to pay it any mind. Though being able to just run red lights gives him a bit of childish joy. Struggling to keep a smile off his face as he picks up speed and just goes _through a building_. 

Original Danny glances at him and chuckles slightly, “usually I go _around_ buildings. You know, for peoples privacy? But yes, my powers are pretty fun”. Before growling, snapping his head to the side, and squinting his now glowing green eyes; as the duplicate spots one agent spraying Elliot -why doesn’t that kid just move out?- in the face. 

Lewis isn’t sure what’s going on, glimpsing Danny’s tail vibrating and lashing a bit aggressively; and him clearly in attack mode. Under an hour into being back in his own town and he’s already picking fights. He just can’t slow down, like Eddie. Which is honestly the scariest part about Eddie himself, combined with having functionally no restraints or very few personal limits. Looking around to see a Phantom duplicate zip over to somewhere and restraining another sigh, before blinking and spotting the FentonWorks sign and the UFO? Danny wasn’t kidding about the strange house. Promptly parking and clearing his throat at Danny, it takes a few times before Danny glances his very bright eyes at him, “we’re just gonna sit here till other you is done”. Danny rolls his eyes slightly but goes back to staring out the window. 

Danny, meanwhile, is happy the liquid doesn’t seem to affect regular ecto-contaminated humans. But he still floats aggressively, and invisibly, behind the agents. While Elliot looks extremely done with everything, shaking his hands off and then tossing them up dramatically and walking off, grumbling about the dumb stupid pain in the fucking ass gov asshole pricks. 

Danny, feeling a little vindictive and mischievous, makes a point of giving the agents the seemingly worst luck ever. Tripping them up, knocking stuff in front of them, whispering creepily at them, making random growling sounds from alleyways. One agent grumbling, “I hate dealing with damn ghost lairs. Too bad we can’t just blow the place”. Danny growls low at that and unintentionally changes the colour palette of the buildings and sidewalk to be darker and harsher shades. Both agents glare around and scoff, “you’re not going to chase us off, filthy lair”.

“Maybe it should!”.

Danny tilts his head up towards the voice and sighs slightly, seeing the red-eyed ‘Phantom’ Amorpho. Promptly zipping up to him and yanking him out of the way of the agents water guns as they shout, “Phantom! Give it up you filthy ecto-entity!”. 

Danny pops into visibility with Amorpho a few blocks over, pointing at him, “you don’t want that water shit on you. Also, the fuck are you doing posing in-front of billboards and shit?”. 

Amorpho blinks and transforms into his natural state, “you’re back! I’ve been having my fun, haven’t caused any issues for you, so who says it matters”.

Danny rolls his eyes but chuckles, “oh yes, who says it matters that you’re making a whole bunch of new weird stories about me. At least general confusion suits me, though I did ask you to stay out of my town. Though fine, thanks for covering my ass. That water will paralyse you and burn you, now I imagine that would get you stuck in whatever form”, Danny grins a bit cruelly knowing how much Amorpho _hates _that. While Amorpho jerks slightly, turning his head towards where the agents are, “thanks then, I’m going to make their day. In the bad way”, transforming into an agent and walking off with a cruel smirk. 

Danny shakes his head, at least he could leave the agents to Amorpho to mess with, being distracting was basically the guys specialty. Flying off back into the car and being resorbed by the original. 

Lewis shakes his head, as Danny just smirks more and leans back in the seat, “someone I've got a truce with is messing with them now. He’s a tricky fellow so I doubt they get him, he’s pretending to be an agent himself”, Danny shakes his head, “he’s actually been pretending to be Phantom while I’ve been gone. He’s a true shift-shaper, can look like _anyone_. Harmless though, just a prankster that likes attention. Also, we’re visible and everything again”. Lewis can’t even imagine all the ways that kind of power could cause harm and mass panic, seems like only the less harmful ghosts had all the more dangerous powers. “Before we head in, because I know you won’t talk about this around Jack and Maddie. Is there a reason it just seems to be good or neutral ghosts with stronger abilities?”. 

Danny promptly shakes his head, “it only seems that way because all the powerful bad ghosts are locked up or sealed away, so they can’t do shit. Like Overgrowth? Control over all plant life and turns people into fertiliser. Massive death count, enslaved Amity once. Vortex? Compete weather control. Makes massive storms and shit. Caused the ice age. Aragon can turn into a dragon. Pariah is literally one of the most powerful there is and he’s an evil bastard. Oh, and Spectra, she makes people depressed. Massive death count for her too”, Danny shrugs and coils his tail up, turning it invisible and throws his -pretty well shredded- hoodie around his waist, “there are just enough good guys to keep the bad guys wrangled. Well okay, and the Observants deal with the really dangerous ones”. 

Lewis shakes his head as he gets out of the car and opens the back door, seeing as Danny can’t be just floating in. Danny points at him, “you aren’t carrying me, my pride took enough of a hit yesterday. And I can’t just ride piggyback cause with how injured I’m supposed to be that would be very suspicious”. Lewis raises an eyebrow, “you have pride?”. Danny flips him off for that, “_all_ ghosts do. Prideful things by nature”. 

“Huh, well I did not bring a wheelchair. Would Jack and Maddie have something?”. 

Danny blinks at him a few times before laughing and nodding his head, “they _always_ have something, they built a hoverboard I believe”. 

Lewis is just going to assume hoverboards are basically commonplace here, as he knocks on the door. 

* * *

To say Jack and Maddie have been busy would be a bit of an understatement. They’d like to say the first thing they did was start on legs and perfect them, but how could they? Having to face that fact, just accept what their boy had lost so quickly? No, but cleaning, organising, and getting to work on deconstructing bits from the first Spector Speeder for a little hover-board? That was easy enough, distraction enough. The house was probably the cleanest it had ever been, especially after finding out Dan would be coming to stay for a while. Finding out Danny would be coming home even sooner really made them stop and acknowledge that they needed to genuinely start building. Of course they both already had ideas, and had started building a little, but really hearing Danny actually eager to hear about them was the real kick in the butt they needed to build with wild abandon. But it wasn’t exactly going smoothly. Building actual robotic legs that could pass as normal legs, rather than an exoskeleton of sorts was a fair bit more difficult. Of course they needed neuroreceptors and the base shape and systems, all that they could build easily. But Danny was rather lean and short, there wasn’t a whole lot of room to work with. And they only wanted legs, no further areas of a full-body suit for space or support. And of course, they absolutely had to be able to work long term and completely safely. There were to be no running off of Danny’s life force or draining any substantial amount of his ectoplasm. The less he has to act as a battery the better. 

So as it stands they had basic prototypes, and they were fully intending to ask Danny if he wanted them to bring them in for him to look at, try on, and help troubleshoot; when the G.I.W. situation had gone down. To say they were _pissed_ at G.I.W. was another definite understatement. The absolute only reasons they didn’t hunt those men down or bust into that transport vehicle was Jazz and Sam pointing out how suspicious that would seem and Tuck assuring them that Danny was _not_ in G.I.W. custody. The final nail in the coffin for them turning around to go back home and just _wait_, was Jazz somewhat sheepishly admitting to them that she had told Dan about the G.I.W. and that Danny actually dealt with them coming after him before. Because that meant Danny had a _plan_ for this and Dan was smart. Not to mention, they knew from growing up with him that he had zero qualms over forgoing rules or normalcy. Even they acknowledged Dan was a bit strange, more so than them. They had strange interests and were both very intense and unapologetic about everything. Dan was strange on the very base fundamental level, so everything about him was at least a little off. But that was exactly why he fit and flowed well with them. 

So they trusted their boy and put some faith in an old friend. Which thankfully paid off, even if that meant Danny coming home way sooner and functionally sent them into a bit of a frenzy. They couldn’t just have prototypes and ‘leg’ bits around, certainly that would be unpleasant for Danny right? And they couldn’t have Dan thinking the house was unsafe. Though they agreed to leave both children’s rooms be, the last thing they wanted to do was make Danny uncomfortable by going through his stuff or changing his area. Jazz would likely go on about how rooms were comfort zones and safe havens. 

So they were a bit frazzled when that knock they had been nervously waiting for finally came. Maddie quickly fixing her hair as she opens the door to see Dan, “Dan, is he fine? Where’s Danny?”. Lewis puts up his hands and makes pacifying motions, “he’s fine, he’s fine”. While Maddie sticks her head out the door, spotting Danny sitting in the car. Seeing him in braces instead of casts feels like a breath of fresh air laced with gold, “DANNY!”. 

Danny rubs his neck a bit awkwardly, partly because he didn’t have a full range of motion and partly because he hated worrying people, while Maddie runs over to him and squats down. Squeezing his shoulder before pulling him in for an almost tight hug, making sure not to pull him off the seat though, “oh sweetie, I’m glad those _men_ didn't get to do anything”. 

Danny’s not about to tell her that they did hurt him, but he does glance around with a cautious eye, “yeah, they’re pricks, aren’t they? They’re also in town, so let’s party over tripping up government dogs inside”. This instantly gets Maddie to snap up and look around, no way does she want to try picking Danny up. Not yet. Thankfully Jack, the dear, was thinking ahead; coming out with the little circular hover cushion with cushion walls around it, looking like a bowl. Course it also had a control panel, pop out trays, pop open cubby holes, etcetera. 

Both Danny and Lewis resist chuckling or snorting at the device. Though Danny takes it and, with the kind of ease that comes from being overly familiar with how his parents build stuff, operates it easily. Lewis quietly muttering, “well shit”, the thing genuinely hovers and quietly too. 

Jack and Maddie both beam as Danny just easily hovers himself inside and does a little twirl in the air. Jazz snickering from the hallway stairs. Patting the puffy thing after walking up, looking Danny over and nodding slightly, “you seem better, no more stiff casts”.

Danny smiles and makes a point of stretching out some, “oh it is _much_ better, I have fingers again. Stick fingers, but fingers”. Bending his right fingers at her the little that he actually can. Which she giggles and shakes her head over. 

Lewis looks at Maddie as she leans towards him, “is he really okay enough to be out of casts?”. Lewis nods, a normal person would definitely not be...well, a normal person would just be flat-out dead. But he had to downplay the injuries, “he’s a tough kid. Lucky too. So he’s good, just needs to be monitored to make sure, and keep up with the wrappings. Though I have a shift soon, so I can’t stay long right now”. 

Jack claps him on the shoulder though his smile looks a little empty, “that’s too bad! You could’ve helped set up the spare room!”. Lewis chuckles and shakes his head slightly, “I’m sure I would have loved that. Though don’t worry about that too much. I’m hardly the picky type”. 

Danny smirks and glances up towards his room, his parents could give Lewis the strangest room ever and he’d probably be unfazed. Whispering at Jazz, “please tell me they didn’t raid my room?”, saying ‘cleaned up’ would be stretching it, since cleaning wasn’t often their thing. Plus, genuinely cleaning his room would probably take more than three days. Jazz giggles slightly, “no worries little brother. They did actually clean the house though”, smiling and side-eyeing her parents, “lab’s a bit messy of course”. 

Danny groans quietly, “it’s covered in leg bits, isn't it?”. She just nods quickly while Lewis comes up and pats Danny’s shoulder. 

Lewis eye-balls the hover cushion thing, “somehow, this is stranger”, shaking his head, “I’ll be around in the morning, try not to destroy your bandaging”. Danny smirks at him, “no promises”. Lewis shakes his head and waves over his shoulder as he takes his leave. 

Danny hovers somewhat awkwardly, focusing on keeping his tail invisible -which doesn’t fit all that well in the little cushion contraption-, while his parents walk over to him. Jack patting him on the shoulder, “did you pull a good one over on those agents?”. Danny smirks and nods, “to my knowledge, they don’t even know I was ever there”. Jack beams over that, while Danny glances up to his room, “cool if I rub my face in my blankets?”, he was going to enjoy his bed tonight, after flying around his town with a fine eye. Any ghosties are were going to get their asses kicked with a passion. 

They honestly don’t want to let him out of their sight but Jazz is giving them a bit of a glare, clearly saying they should give him space. Jack squeezes Danny’s shoulder slightly and nods, “glad to hear it and go ahead Danny-boy. I’m sure Mads will have supper ready in a bit!”. And Maddie kisses Danny on the cheek quickly, who blushes and bats her off weakly. Before promptly hovering up to his room. 

Sticking his head in, Danny’s just damn glad his room looks exactly as it did before. Locking the door and promptly ditching the hover cushion, stretching his tail out and letting it wiggle all over the place; before just flopping onto his bed. Laying there realising that being gone for a while has rather resensitised him to all the scents he’d gotten used to over the past years. Grumbling, “oh man, I really _do_ need to clean. Kinda smells like someone died and rolled in lemon acid”. Was he going to actually do it? Probably not. Give it a day or so and he’d be nose-blind again. Sighing happily into his blankets, hard to actually be comfortable with the braces on though. Turning his head to the side and staring out the window, he could wait till nightfall. 

Jack and Maddie watch him head to his room with worry, Jazz rubbing her mom's arm, “he just needs some time to adjust and enjoy being home”, smiling at her dad, “you know how unpleasant hospitals can be”. Not to mention calming down from dealing with the G.I.W. 

Jack shivers slightly, hospitals _were_ so annoying to be stuck dealing with. Before looking to the lab door and smiling, “maybe testing things out will get him back into the swing of things!”, and bounding down the stairs. While Jazz shakes her head with a small smile, “give him some time at least!”. 

Maddie gives Jazz a soft smile and kisses her head quickly, “oh he’ll be a while, no worries. I’ll get to work on a good supper”. Jazz, full well knowing Danny will be annoyed but he really should not be eating anything heavily seasoned or tough, “remember it should be simple and easy to digest”. Maddie blinks and nods, “right, of course, thanks Jazz”. Jazz just smiles and shakes her head slightly. 

* * *

Danny’s just glad supper went normally, even if he’s sure the food was very intentionally ‘guy who just had surgery’ friendly. Now he’s just curled up in his blankets and staring at the window. No way his folks weren’t going to check in on him before they went to bed themselves. He honestly wanted them to hurry up on that and go to bed, so he can leave and have a night out on the town. 

Not even ten minutes later he coils his tail up and flicks it out of visibility, as he smells his folks approaching the door. Flipping over to face the door as he hears his mom ask, “you up sweetie? Can we come in?”.

“Yeah, go ahead”, Danny would throw in a joke about not being able to get the door but that would technically be a lie and would probably be really insensitive. 

Jack and Maddie come in and sit on Danny’s bed, it was strange and bit painful that doing so pulled the blankets down enough to make what’s missing rather noticeable. The two parents share a look before Maddie brushes Danny’s hair around some, speaking soft and kind, “now you know we’ve been working on legs for you. We’ve got good frameworks and systems started, though we haven’t really been able to solidify or start on the attachment zone. So we were wondering if it would be alright to see the work Dan did?”. 

Danny makes a point not to wince, it was clear she was trying to be kind and gentle, even if the whole..._Dan_...name kind of ruined the attempted effect. All three glance down to Danny’s waist and ‘legs’, while Danny mentally debates what to do. 


	5. Those Legs Ain’t Quite Timely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny takes a leap of faith and doesn’t splatter into ectoplasmic goop. Lewis gets philosophical and ignores the replies. The rest of the quartet finds out aliens are a thing and that Danny is an idiot about that too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Ectober 2019 Day 11: Time (Part 1)

Danny’s got a few options. Two really. Thankfully they wouldn’t know that some flesh and muscle had in fact regrown, so that wasn’t an issue. And it was covered in bandaging so it’s not like there was anything to see really. Doesn’t have to worry about scars or the -totally nonexistent but should definitely be there- stitching. It was the tail that was an issue, if he hid it now he’d basically have to hide it permanently...or at least until he could let his legs fully regrow. He’s still not even sure what to do about that. Passing real legs off as robotic ones was _not_ going to work. And while he’s done a lot for his secret, just not letting them grow or removing whatever regrows was a bit extreme even for him. And Lewis will kill him, or might actually force him to heal. At this point, he wouldn’t put it past the guy to knock him out or something. 

But showing them the tail posed the same issue as letting them in on the fact that his legs are regrowing. It was _too_ _ghostly_. But at the same time, Val knew and she also knew halfas were a thing, yet didn’t make the connection; or hadn’t yet anyway. It was easy enough to pass off the tail as just the ghost of his legs, which was less weird than regrowing limbs. Arguably anyway. With his ‘ecto-contamination’ already making him a bit more ghostly and sensitive to ghostly things, it probably wouldn’t make them too suspicious. 

Though seeing them share another look probably means he’s taking too long to decide and making them feel bad about asking him. So he decides to ask them something to break up the tension a bit, ease the conversation some, while he mentally debates what to do, “is that why you’re having some issues with wiring and weighting?”. 

Jack and Maddie are just assuming Danny needs to warm up a bit before being comfortable letting them see. Clearly he wasn’t expecting them to ask about his injuries, Maddie nodding, “for the weighting, yes. But it’s more about the power source”. Jack shifts and nods as well, “we’ve got to get ectoplasm throughout all of them so you can feel properly. With no matter from your actual body throughout it, that’s proving a bit difficult. But! With the right shape and connections, it should work splendidly!”. 

Danny blinks, well shit, he basically had the solution to that. His tail could probably be made to fit and, due to not truly being solid and all of it being able to move, it could easily slide around whatever mechanics or wiring. He can also tell his dad’s bullshitting a little, his dad had no viable solution yet for this issue. Danny chuckles while transforming his tail back human A.K.A. looking like it was made out of bandaging, “heh yeah, not the same as making an exoskeleton huh?”. 

Maddie nods and ruffles his hair, “yeah it’s not, and we can’t have it sapping your life force or anything”. All three chuckle slightly at that. Jack smiles, functionally speaking without thinking, “especially with there being less of it!”. Maddie glares at him slightly, but blinks a bit surprised at Danny actually laughing. 

Danny can’t help but smirk a little, tail wiggling around some, though being intangible keeps that from being noticed. Technically there wasn’t any less of him, half just happens to be stuck all ghostly. He’s half ghost in a much more literal sense, which is a bit hilarious. Half ghost squared. Doubly half-ghost. Shifting some, “uh yeah, about that...”, Danny scoots away from where his mom is sitting a bit and pulls his now tangible tail in front of his stomach. Smiling a bit awkwardly as he lifts up the corner of his blankets and reveals the tip of the tail, “I think you might have to change some things”. 

Danny chuckles even more awkwardly as they just sort of _stare_, so he starts talking, which is probably _not _the best idea, “had it sort of under the jacket earlier. Cause weird right? And definitely can’t let those men see something like this of all things. And bet it’s, like, cause of all the ectoplasm in my system. Which is totally a pretty, um, different way for that to affect me. But, like, hey! I’ve still got something there. Which is kinda nice even if it feels, like, super different. Very energetic in a lot of ways. ‘Cause y’know, made of energy. But also just, like, never really stops moving. And Ancients, say something? It’s weird yeah, but, like, just me. Part of me. My body and all that. And me having ectoenergy is super established and okay right? So there’s just part that’s nothing but that-”.

Jack goes slightly wide-eyed and snaps his fingers. Getting an idea, pretty well steamrolling past the ghostly strangeness of this in the name of science and inventing, and cutting Danny’s rambling off, “ectoenergy! Can you control it?!? You could move your ectoplasm to all the areas yourself then! And we’d need less reliance on the neuroreceptors, because you could use the tail for that some! Can you feel with it?!? How solid is it?!? Could possibly fit around what we’ve already got started since ectoplasm is more malleable and a gaseous liquid! Could even possibly be able to move the CyberSteps with the tail alone if the neuroreceptors malfunctioned! Oh! Ghosts only have these when they’re defying gravity at higher speeds usually! Could you defy gravity yourself with this?!? How would that work? You’d have to balance the rest of yourse-”. Maddie closes Jack’s mouth and gives him a warm smile, “Jack dear, don’t bombard him”. 

Maddie ruffles Danny’s hair again and eyeballs the tail tip, “do you think we could see all of it before your dad explodes with questions again?”. 

Danny chuckles, the quizzicality is a nice normalcy but also a bit unnerving, saying, “yeah, okay”, before pushing himself to sit up with his arms -coming to sit on the base of the tail a bit- and pushing away the blanket by coiling his tail out and letting it wave in the air a little. 

Jack promptly blurting out, “how long has it been there?!? Why’s it look like that?!? I’ve never seen one coloured like this!”, Maddie glares at him and he shrugs sheepishly. 

Danny chuckles, “it’s okay mom, I’ve asked myself the same”, rubbing his neck, “Lewis did too. He’s, um, the one who noticed it first”. 

Maddie nods with a slight smile, “noticing something like that is part of his job”, was this weird? Yes. It was a fair bit more ghostly than she ever expected her son to be. But Jack was right, this solved a lot of the issues. And Danny wasn’t a ghost, well actually his ‘legs’ _were_. But why were they a tail instead of just ghost legs? She wants to ask, but she doesn’t want to overwhelm him and Jack’s already asking a bunch. Nodding as she looks at it, “the amount of ectoplasm in you must be high enough and have enough support to let your ghost actually form some”. 

Danny nods a bit eagerly, that was the conclusion he was hoping they’d make, “yeah, that’s my thought. And yes dad, I can control it”. Bringing it up and letting them poke at it. Jack actually winding it through his fingers some. Jack mouthing, ‘wow’ and squishing it some. It was surprisingly solid but it was clear Danny could control its solidity, catching him smirk slightly as the tail acts more like mist than a solid suddenly. Maddie running her hand through one of the little misting off bits of shedding ectoplasm, muttering, “it’s shedding”.

Danny nods a little sheepishly, “yeah, I’m probably a bit of a contaminate now”, or more than he already was, they just didn’t know that. Shrugging and looking at his tail instead of his parents, “can’t really stop that. Control over it or not, ghostly tail is still a ghostly tail. It’s going to work like one”. 

Maddie gives it a little pat, before watching Danny move it away from them and move it around in the air, wiggling a bunch, for a bit. Nodding and ruffling his hair, “of course. Are you at least getting used to that a little? Having part of you act so ghostly?”. 

Danny smirks and nods at them, “I’ve had the time to toy with it, which yes, I can float with. It seems to do the balancing, or whatever, on its own”, moving his tail around a bit so this seemed less like he’s been doing this for the better part of two years, as he floats off the bed some. 

Jack beams a bit, this was so cool! weird, but cool! Waving his hand under his floating son some, “clearly it must come really naturally!”, before chuckling some at Danny wobbling in the air a little. Practice would make perfect of course!

Danny nods, his tail and floating was one thing that had always come easily to him. Coiling his tail tip around a finger, “yeah and I haven’t had much else to do besides figure it out for the past days”, blushing and rubbing his neck a bit awkwardly, “I’ve had it for sure since the second morning. I just didn’t really wanted to show you yet I guess”, shrugging, “you can be a little excitable and you kind of hate ghosts”, gesturing at the tail, “I’m quite literally a bit ghost”. This was starting to feel like a trial run for really telling them what he was. 

Maddie and Jack exchange a look before promptly hugging him gently, not wanting to jar any injuries. Maddie ruffling his hair, “oh sweetie, it’s part of you so it’s different. You’re not fully ghost and you’re clearly in control of it”, looking to Jack. Jack nodding, “at least you have legs in a sense still! Weird as they are!”, tilting his head and poking at the tail, “it’s curious that your ghost doesn’t have legs! Can’t really see any other reason for the ghost of your legs to not be ghost legs”. 

Danny’s not quite sure the reason why himself, he knows that’s not it of course though. Poking the tail himself, “well it looks like bandaging because I have bandaging over the whacked off area, so it’s copying what I have. All ghosts can have tails, so since I don’t have legs for it to ‘copy’ it goes with the default. That’s my idea anyway”. Watching them cringe a little over his word choice, probably should have spoken a bit more gently. Danny smiles and pats both their arms, “I’d squeeze ya, but I don’t have the range of motion for that. I’m fine okay, I’m used to it. I’m more so waiting for you guys to be okay with it”.

Maddie pats his hair, he was a strong kid though she’s not sure how he can be quite so okay with this. Especially with the tail making it even stranger. Maybe that strangeness was distracting him some, might even view it as his ectoplasm doing something for him. But this also meant he was without question going to become a ghost one day. Which is...not a pleasant thing to know. Maybe with this partial change his ectoplasm will remember who he is as a person and not become emotionless or evil as a ghost. So maybe this was for the best, nurturing and giving experience to his ghost. But not having...legs, would never really be okay. Ghostly tail or not, robotic legs or not. But she’ll be damned if they’ll make Danny feel bad or uncomfortable about it, they _will_ adjust, “that’ll take some time sweetie”. 

Danny smiles softly and nods a little, “that’s fine. Just don’t let this interrupt our normal life much, though maybe no anti-ecto stuff where my tail can easily whack into it. That would probably not be fun for anyone”, they both nod readily while Danny smiles a bit wider, “good, that’s good”. 

They sit a little awkwardly for a bit before Jack gets up, “with this we could probably have the CyberSteps ready by morning if we work now!”, smiling wide at Maddie, who smiles and nods; quickly kissing Danny on the head before getting up herself. “You make sure to call us or get us if you need _anything_, alright sweetie?”.

Danny nods and flat-out lies, “of course”, as they leave. Finally breathing out heavily after a bit and flopping to lay back on his bed, “well that was painful, but at least it ended okay”, turning his head to look out the window. He had never used duplication so much, as he duplicates and sends the duplicate out on the town. 

He’s more than a little pleased that both the G.I.W. and Amorpho have flown the coop. Time to check in with his friends...and girlfriend. Thinking back on the microwave call, “okay, Val first. Definitely Val first”, of course he couldn’t just show up at her place but a phone call would do splendidly...maybe. Pulling out and putting in his little Fenton Phone, setting it to cancel out his ghostly echo, and calling her cell. He could call the suit, but he doubts she’d actually appreciate that. 

It’s not really surprising she picks up quick, “hello?”.

“Hey Val, figured you might li-”.

Val promptly cuts him off, “I better be the first call you made, I’ve earned it. How’s your y’ know”. 

Danny chuckles, “back to normal and yes you are. My folks seem not so pleased about the y’ know. But not, like, upset either. Oh, and I met Lewis’s wife, you heard her earlier”.

“The lady Tucker attempted to start hitting on?”.

“Yup, though I don’t think she really cared. Same with Lewis. Considering their best friend is literally the wife’s ex-fiancé”.

“How is that not awkward? His wife is weird like him, isn’t she? And I’m glad your folks didn’t freak over something you have no real say over having. Ghostly or not”.

Danny smiles at that, clearly she was more okay with it herself now, “wife saw the y’know and didn’t even bat an eye. So I’d say so. She also decided that if anyone ever tries to charge a ghost with their own murder, she wants to represent them. I’m glad you seem more comfortable over the y’know now”.

Val laughs, “I’ve had time to mentally adjust. And of course the doctor’s dating a lawyer”, sounding a bit bitter, “rich accomplished people always stick together”. 

Danny, deciding to nip that idea in the butt, though he gets why she’s bitter about that, considering how her rich ‘friends’ had treated her. “The ex-fiancé has been described as a literal trash fire and apparently dresses like a homeless man that just got beat up by bigoted cops. Even almost been homeless. So I doubt it’s a rich money thing. Seems more like people who help people sticking together. Doctor who literally save lives, pro bono lawyer, and a ‘for the little guys’ reporter”, Danny’s firmly leaving out anything to do with Vee. And he probably should give Lewis a heads up that he keeps no secrets from his friends. He won’t tell any of them really without an okay though. But considering even Lewis’s wife knew shit now, it would be a dick move of them to not be chill with Danny’s friends knowing. Eddie and Vee’s friends knew, Danny’s friends would know. Seems fair enough to him. 

Val snorts, “so slightly worse dressed than you most days? And fine, I guess one of them isn’t some rich prick. And he’s not some charity case?”.

Danny sighs, “not all rich people are dicks you know”.

“I believe that when I met one who doesn’t give a damn about other people’s wealth. Doctor doesn’t count”.

Now Danny has a damn point to make, so he doesn’t really care if Sam will be a bit annoyed, while he smirks at spotting the Box Ghost. Making sure to mute everything but his voice on the phone, “does Sam give a damn?”. Promptly blasting at the Box Ghost before he can even open his mouth. Danny chuckles to himself. 

“Sam’s not rich and why are you mocking me?”. 

Danny shakes his head as he sticks out his tongue before punching the Box Ghost, “Val, Sam’s family are one of the richest in the entire world. There’s a movie theatre _and_ bowling alley in the basement. You know those little deli toothpicks with the wrapping on them? Yeah, that’s a Manson creation. Every time people use or buy those, they make truckloads of money. None of them will ever work and are filthy stinking rich”. 

The Box Ghost doesn’t even look all that offended that Danny’s not really paying attention to him, shouting about his boxes of DOOM while Danny just beats him up some more. Val breaths out after a bit, “well shit. Why the Zone doesn’t she flaunt that? Paulina would lose her shit”. 

Danny sighs with satisfaction as he captures the Box Ghost, tail wiggling happily, “‘cause she doesn’t want to be treated different based purely on her wealth. Me and Tuck didn’t even know for years ‘cause she didn’t want to make friends based on money. I could totally see her telling Paulina just before graduation though. Just to bug her”. 

“Well damn. I guess I gotta believe it now. You told me this just to rub it in my face didn’t you?”.

Danny smirks, “absolutely”, looking around some before just floating lazily over buildings, “you didn’t get into trouble over you know what did you?”. 

“You little shit and no, don’t even think anyone noticed”. 

Danny can’t help but laugh at that, “good! We’re all good then. Though I should probably actually check in with Sam and Tuck at this point”. 

“True, I think Sam picked up we’re a thing again. I also think she’s pissed. You have the most protective friends ever. You take care, you damn idiot”. 

“I know, they’re great. And you too, you stupid idiot”, Danny turns off the phone to her muttering about how he basically just called her a double idiot. 

Knowing full well that Sam would be worse to deal with but also be even more worse if he puts her off, he flies in through her window. Not even surprised she’s just standing on the other side of the curtains with her arms crossed. 

“Took you long enough”. 

Danny rolls his eyes as he sits on the windowsill, “we’re all lucky my folks even left me alone eventually. Yes I’m fine, yes my folks saw the tail and didn’t go crazy, and Lewis knows basically everything now”. 

Sam sighs but smiles, “at least you trusted someone else. But are you sure we can trust him? And I want a damn answer about Valerie, I _know_ you heard me before Tucker hung up”. 

Danny rubs his neck, “can’t give a guy a break can ya? Not even when he’s all battered and legless”. 

“You’re always battered, you better tell me before I get my shoe”. 

Danny makes an overacted show of fear and waves his hands back and forth erratically, “I’ll pass! I’ll pass!”, chuckling at her eye-roll, “trust me, Lewis has seen weirder shit. He hid and carried me around in a thermos for an entire shift, he’s good”.

Sam tilts her head and laughs slightly, “okay he’s good. Now what about Valerie?”.

Danny sighs, knowing damn well neither of his friends were going to be happy, “yes okay? We’re a thing again. Which is not a ba-”.

Sam whacks him over the head, not too hard though, “idiot. She still very specifically wants you and all things ghostly _dead_. Whether she helped you away from those white-suit pricks or not”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “she’s seen the tail Sam, she told me she’s Red. Things have _changed_. Sure I’m still working on the ghost hate, the Phantom hate. But she likes Dani, she knows about halfas, she’s not the same as she used to be”. 

Sam glares at him and throws her arms out to the side, “you wouldn’t care if she was the same as she was”, shaking her head and sighing, “and fine I’ll give you that her accepting the tail and telling you about being a hunter is a massive thing. But she’s still a hunter, I’ll trust her when she stops hunting you. And we’ll stop being protective of you, when you stop being a selfless idiot”. 

Danny pokes her nose with his tail, “that will never happen. But at least I’m not intentionally destroying myself for love”. 

Sam glares slightly before joining Danny in sitting on the windowsill, “it’s a close thing”.

Danny bumps his shoulder into hers, “oh she’d never destroy me”.

“Don’t you dare make a bet on that”. 

Danny, deciding this is really the only way to tell her without getting assaulted, quickly blurts out, “she also knows you’re rich now bye!”, and zips out the window. Her shouting, “DANNY!”, after him. 

Danny goes in through Tuck’s window and just flops down on his sleeping friend, making the guy jerk awake. Tuck flicks his face, “you asshole...I’m glad you’re okay though”. 

“I mean, me too. Fucking owe you for hacking shit”. 

“Damn fucking straight you do. So how bad did doc and the lady freak over the call?”.

Danny chuckles, “do you even know what you called through? A fucking microwave. They were very confused. But otherwise unfazed”. 

Tucker snorts and laughs, “so y’all were talking to a microwave. Something tells me we don’t even have the tip of the iceberg on just how much weird that guys seen”.

Danny grins goofily, “oh you have no idea. The crap he’s told me, just wow. Sworn to secrecy though”. 

Tucker makes a pouty face, “what?!? No fair! Why do you get to know all the weird crap? Besides being his patient. Which is hardly a reason! Even those strange friends of his I’d like to hear more about. Anyone who could give you a run for your money in strange Ville is worth hearing about”. 

“Because he kept trying to match my weird! He ran out of material with the whole CW is my friend and sorta a god thing. On the High Ghost Prince thing too”. 

Tucker blinks, “wait what? The Zone Danny? Why does doc know about that?”.

Danny gets up then and leans on his hands, letting the tail do its thing. Looking down at Tucker, who looks more than a little unimpressed, “he walked in on me and a duplicate. He hid me in a fucking thermos. He knows I’m Phantom, Tuck”.

“Did you at least freak him the Zone out?”.

Danny huffs in fake annoyance, “it made him pause but that was about it. Which I absolutely am a bit miffed about. But seriously, with the shit he’s told me, it’s fucking expected. He still firmly believes I am _not _the weirdest person he knows. Weirdest life, but not weirdest person”. 

“The Zone is wrong with his friends?”.

“A fucking lot. He literally showed up in the near-dead of night to ask about setting up a damn hangout between me and his friends. Because we have a ton in common. Not half dead though”. 

Tucker raises his eyebrows and asks in a slightly mocking tone, “are they a black and white battered idiot vigilante with a questionable body and fucking atrocious fashion sense? And only keep their shit secret through dumb luck and general public stupidity? Oh and are dating someone who has, and sometimes still does, try to kill them? Because don’t lie dude, Val’s macking lips with ya again”. 

Danny looks around and pointedly doesn’t say _shit_. Tucker blinks at him and wheezes, “oh my fucking Ancients, is your doc just a damn magnet for you fuckers?”. 

Danny gestures one arm around wildly, “that’s what I said! Weird just attracts weird I think. I mean, y’all fuckers are weird. You attracted me. Lewis is weird, pretty sure his wife is too”. 

Tucker wiggles his eyebrows, “I attracted you now did I?”. 

Danny smacks Tuck’s forehead, “not like that you damn creep”, tilting his head at remembering some of Lewis’s rather strange comments, “though with some of the shit Lewis’s said, it might be like that with his friends. His wife literally dated one-”

Tucker snorts, cutting Danny off, “oh I will absolutely make bets that something currently is or will be going on there. Then again, Valerie’s a friend and literally dated, and _is dating_, you. And no way me or Sam are gonna make moves on her”. 

Danny laughs, everyone would be very confused if either of his friends made moves on Val, “good. I don’t think my ghost side would be cool with sharing. And yes fine, we’re dating. She’s okay with the tail and tripped through the window in suit”. 

Tucker screws up his face and starts laughing, “seriously? _That’s_ how she comes clean?”. 

Danny sticks his hands out to the side and floats up off the bed some, “I know right?!? I chewed her out for that”, yawning slightly, fuck he got a little used to more regular sleeping and getting a full night of it, “anyway, my folks are leg fitting me tomorrow and I relearned how to sleep, sooooo...”. 

Tucker chuckles, “that’s going to be awkward, what you doing about the tail? And good, you should sleep more”. 

Danny waves him off, “not a priority. And probably should have stared with this, but they know. They’ve seen it and didn’t go all crazy ghost hunters about it”. 

Both of them yawn and Tucker pats Danny’s arm, “good. That’s good really”, while Danny waves at him and flies out. 

* * *

Danny decides in the morning, as he slips into the little hover cushion, that just floating around with his tail would be a bit too much for his folks. That and he needed to not seem super used to it. But he does let it stay visible and move around freely inside the device. The tip curling over the edge here and there since there really wasn’t quite enough room, as he hovers down the stairs for breakfast. 

He’s really honestly not surprised to see a pair of robo legs just standing in front of his sitting dad. Who’s fiddling away and absent mindedly eating cookies. But they did actually look pretty awesome, clearly they listened to him. Light gray metal with dark forest green lines all over and dark gray ‘boots’. Lean and matte instead of shiny. They also looked a lot more like a finished product than a prototype. Reminded him a bit of his original jumpsuit, which was clearly intentional on his parents part. Even Sam and Tuck would pick up on that. 

Hovering into the kitchen, “mornin’, how’s that comin’?”. Both Maddie and Jack jerk slightly, looking to the legs and back to Danny a bit awkwardly. Danny waves them off and moves to grab his cereal, “don’t worry about it. I’m not bothered”. Sure that was partly because Danny was used to them toying with things that could hurt him directly in his face and also shooting them at him. But these were going to be attached to him. He damn well better be okay with them. And robo legs or no, walking again would be goddamn nice. Actually feeling ground under his feet and taking steps, funny how you could miss something like that. 

Danny would complain about his mom basically making the cereal for him and putting it on the table, but he could barely move his fingers, her doing that for him was damn reasonable. And it was worlds better than being damn spoon fed. Muttering, “thanks”, as he hovers the hover cushion to sit in the chair, tail flicking out of it lazily. Which Jack and Maddie absolutely do eyeball a little. 

Jack asking after a beat, “in that case, what do you think? Looks cool right?”. 

Danny, speaking without really thinking, “who needs legs with legs like these”, everyone blinks, including Danny. Who then rubs his neck, “eh too soon? Anyway... they look good dad. The softer colours are definitely better. Will I be able to curl my metaphorical toes though?”. 

That gets Jack looking down at the ‘boots’ having not considered that, promptly picking up and bending the legs to sit on the table and getting to work on that. Danny just chuckles, that was a little bit weird. Knowing that was basically his lower-half sitting on the table. While Maddie watches Danny a bit and smiles, he really was okay, not just faking it. She’s not sure if that bothers her or makes her proud. 

Danny had just shoved a spoon of cereal in his mouth when Lewis walks in the door. Danny leans his head over the back of his chair, spoon in his mouth, “mor-”, promptly choking on his cereal slightly and coughing. 

Lewis does find it more that a little strange to just see a pair of legs sitting on the kitchen table, shaking his head at Danny, “I just got here and you’re already exercising the whole ‘getting hurt around a doctor gets you free treatment’ trick”. 

Danny coughs slightly before turning his head around to smirk at Lewis, “I’m not surprised that’s a thing. Speaking of exercise and to tackle the possibly weird thing going on here. Know that today’s not normally my leg day, but I’m willing to spice things up sometimes”. 

Lewis chuckles while Maddie’s a little surprised that comment was not only said but didn’t seem to faze Dan.

Lewis walks over and looks at the legs, his two friends tech had come a long way, smirking at Danny, “well you certainly don’t need that sort of exercising”. 

Danny points at him, “one less thing for the gym teach to pester me about”, shrugging, “not that she’ll really know though”, pointing at his cereal, “want food?”. 

Maddie gets Dan food even if he shakes his head while Jack just shrugs off the weirdness, easily remembering _why _Dan had been a great friend. Nothing really bothered the guy much. Hooking up the little ecto-battery to test out the toes, which results in him accidentally making one leg kick Dan’s oatmeal out of his hands. Jack chuckles awkwardly, “might be a tad bit over sensitive”. 

Danny shakes his head, “I’m not even wearing them yet and they’re already breaking shit. I feel called out”. 

Jazz comes in and, spotting the mess, cleans it up before making both herself and Lewis food. Easily manoeuvring around her mom who’s gone to help dad with the sensitivity. “Morning Danny and Lewis, I don’t think your room’s actually fully set up. They got distracted”. 

Danny wiggles the tail tip at Lewis, who easily gets the ‘I told them and they didn’t freak out’ message. Lewis nods as he sits at the table, “distractions are a spice of life. They’re best plentiful but not constant, otherwise you can’t taste anything else”. Digging in his bag and promptly shoving a little cake at Danny, who looks a bit confused, “speaking of spices and tastes. Apology cake, white chocolate spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom”. 

Danny squints but then chuckles, the guy gave his two friends one for telling Danny their shit. Lewis was giving him one for telling his wife Danny’s shit. “Unnecessary, but I’ll take the free food”. 

Jazz glares slightly at Lewis as Danny digs into the cake and is clearly loving it. Danny shrugging off whatever Lewis did, didn’t really mean much, it took a lot for Danny to hold something against someone. But to actually make a cake showed effort. Danny pokes Lewis with the spoon, which was previously being used for cereal, swallowing before speaking, “just how often do you make apology cakes? And how’s this one actually better?”. 

Lewis shrugs and ignores how Danny’s face twitches while he bats Jack’s hand away from the cake. “Not often actually. I do make cakes for fun though”. 

Danny takes another scoop of the cake before pointing the spoon at Lewis, “agurf, yer theph couge”. 

Jazz shakes her head, recognising the slightly possessive and territorial behaviour, as Danny bats dad’s hand away again, “swallow first Danny”. While Maddie shakes her head, “I know you’re capable of polishing off all of that but let your dad have a taste sweetie”. 

“Naw, my Lewis apology cake”, Danny shoves another piece into his mouth to stop the growl trying to rise up. While Lewis brings out a thing of cupcakes, gesturing at them, “I’m not mean. Same flavour”. Jazz sends Lewis a grateful smile for that and takes a cupcake. All three polishing off the cupcakes pretty quickly, Jack looking downright giddy, “you’re an amazing baker! Have you ever made fudge!”. 

Jazz mouths, ‘please say no’, while Lewis shakes his head. He really hadn’t. Maddie smiles at him, “you’ll probably be learning then”. 

Not even five minutes later Danny’s polished off the cake and Lewis is a bit impressed by that. Vee plowing through food wasn’t impressive, they could eat people whole. But Danny, at the very least, wasn’t currently performing that level of mouth dexterity. 

Lewis takes his two containers and looks over the legs again. Highly interested in how they were supposed to work. “How is he supposed to pilot these?”. Jazz just groans over how you should never ask the ‘how’. 

Danny looks down at the little hover cushion then back at Lewis, “you ask this after having seen hover-boards and what’s basically a hover-bowl?”. 

Lewis points at him, “that’s not attached to you and has a control panel”. 

“Point”, even the big ass battle suit had controls. 

Jack flips up the neuroreceptor strip, moving the branches slightly, “neuroreceptors latch onto his spinal column and into the nervous system! Sending signals to these babies the same as his body would natural legs! The CyberSteps have their own built-in nervous system and somatosensory system! So it will all connect smoothly and he’ll be able to feel them!....”. 

Jack keeps going while Lewis is a bit caught off guard. Not only was making something like this that actually worked basically a medical marvel -these were literally prosthetics that could function like real limbs pretty well completely!- but it was also a bit insane. Blinking and interrupting, “you’re hooking into his spine? And nerves? That’s actually impressively dangerous and as his doctor I can’t even consider officially approving of this”. 

Jack looks slightly crushed but Danny just rolls his eyes, while Jazz speaks up, “this isn’t the first time they’ve made something like this. It’s fine, dad himself tested out the first years ago”. 

Lewis eyeballs the legs, something like this had been made _years ago_? And they just used it? Like it was nothing? Patting Jack’s shoulder, “you two might be most intelligent people ever. And I didn’t say I’d try to stop you”. At that Jack beams. 

Maddie smiles softly and nods at Lewis, “we made sure it would be safe long term. Made specifically for him and runs off his ectoplasm”, looking at Danny, “just a little of course”, looking to Jack, “and definitely will not be sapping anyone’s life force”. 

Danny elbows Lewis, “just to bug the doctor in you, the first thing they made that used these neuroreceptors slowly killed the wearer”, shrugging, “unless you took it off of course”. Danny pulls out his phone and types away on it. 

Lewis, reading the screen ‘I stole it, used it. Used up like 99% of my life force, turns out you can recover from that shit’, he wants to emphatically point out every reason why that was insane to do and incredibly stupid. That’s possibly dumber than befriending, and falling in love with, the creature eating your organs. 

Looking at Jack as he nods with a laugh, “yeah just the pants part of that suit nearly knocked me out after five minutes. Good thing people can heal from that kind of drain!”. Lewis shakes his head, “well I'm glad you worked that kink out”. Jack nods as he tests out the toes again, this time satisfied. 

Danny only ignores his dad looking from the legs to him and back a few times before speaking up, “yes dad, I’m cool with testing them out”. Lewis practically having to scamper out of the way as Jack pretty well aggressively throws himself, and the legs, at Danny. Though setting them to stand in front of Danny’s chair moderate carefully. 

Lewis tilts his head, “you know, this reminds me of the time I went to my friends' house and he was sunken halfway into his couch. Just the upper half of him was sticking out. And in the corner there was this deep freezer with a pair of legs just dangling out. Which was slightly weird, cause they don’t even own a deep freezer”. 

Danny screws up his face, “yeah because _that’s_ what’s weird about that situation. Did you check the...legs?”. 

Lewis nods immediately, “oh yes, I do have _some _limits for the level of reckless I’ll tolerate. It was a random guy legitimately asleep, yes I checked their pulse. No clue who they were and decidedly didn’t want to know”. Sure that was partly because he’s pretty sure Eddie had actually knocked the guy out. Plausible deniability was a legit thing that he’d like to at least sometimes have. 

Danny chuckles, “then I guess his sleep schedule was literally, instead of metaphorically, put on ice”, then looks down the centre of the CyberSteps -at least that was a somewhat cool name-, there was easily enough space for him to wind his tail around in the legs, though splitting his tail would be a bit strange. And he can tell there are little spots where his ecto-energy can ‘latch on’. Floating himself up and grabbing the rim of the top of the legs and letting his tail just sort of slide in. It was like putting on really stiff pants over legs made of misty mouldable rubber. Securing the belt around just above where his hips should -and were starting to- be, the fit for his tail was actually a little snug but that would probably become less tight as his ectoplasm fuelled the legs. Hitting the little button with a thumbprint scanner to activate and attach the neuroreceptors. 

Lewis tilts his head a little at the strap thing clicking onto Danny, he had just assumed this was very literally a ‘see if they even fit’ sort of situation rather than Danny actually hooking up to them. Considering Danny had severe _spinal injuries_, that his parents knew about, and Danny’s wearing a back brace. But apparently these neuroreceptors can go through clothing/braces/bandaging and didn’t actually need to be on the skin. Was it just transmitting signals_ through the material? How?_ Lewis muttering, “I have so many questions, but are you sure you should be doing that? Considering the spinal injuries”.

Jazz blinks, realising that yeah this would be insanely dumb for Danny to be testing if he was still injured. Danny just waves Lewis off, he is not putting off testing these things. 

Though Danny does pay attention to how it all feels just in case, and them hooking into him was just as jarring as last time, even if going through the braces dampened the feeling some, and he definitely could feel the drain on his ectoplasm pretty well instantly. However, feeling his ecto-energy sparking in his eyes was not an expected reaction, and his tail starts becoming a bit more erratic; sliding around throughout the legs. “Uh pretty sure that’s no-”, Danny pauses at his voice echoing and promptly deactivates the neuroreceptors. Danny grumbling, “I’m not going to tempt fate too much”, voice still echoing and blinking his eyes to try and make the ecto-energy chillout, which it does not. 

Lewis looks around at the confused and slightly awkward faces, “I'm going to guess that something’s not working correctly”. Danny slowly looks to him and gestures to his glowing green eyes, “clearly”. Alright, so the ghost eyes were not intentional. 

Jack scratches his head while Danny squirms a bit before pulling his, extremely erratically vibrating and lashing, ghostly tail out of the CyberSteps. Everyone watching ecto-energy shedding off it very excessively; like his tail was smoking. Jack muttering, “it’s like they supercharged you instead of sapping”. 

Danny shakes his head, “no, I could feel the draining. More like making my ectoplasm produce more or whatever”. Danny blinks, feeling the rising coldness in his chest and repressing a shiver. Not good, “maybe you guys should go figure that out? I’ll be fine, got doctor dude right?”. 

Lewis was going to object but he’s pretty sure a snowball just slammed into his shin, so instead he nods at Jack and Maddie, “at this point, I’m pretty sure I’m able to handle somewhat ghostly oddness”. 

Jack and Maddie exchange a glance, it made sense that Danny would want legs as soon as possible. But his body was doing something weird, looking at Dan, “I guess you have had a bit of experience now”. Danny was experienced with his ecto-contamination, used to it. So surely he would know if something was off with it, and if he genuinely needed help. 

Danny’s just thanking his lucky stars as they do indeed head down to the lab with the legs. Promptly looking to Jazz and blazing his Core’s ectoplasm in his eyes. Her instantly getting the message that Danny’s basically an ice bomb, while Danny shivers. Jazz kicks the freezer, making the systems start acting up and freezing over before yanking Lewis out of the room. 

Lewis muttering as he just goes along with this, “what’s going on?”. Jazz only getting a chance to say, “flash freeze”, as both of them watch cold steam basically blast out of the kitchen doorway, like liquid nitrogen. Lewis quirking an eyebrow, “is it safe now?”. Jazz nods after a beat, so Lewis sticks his head in and blinks. Everything is just covered in ice and frost. 

Danny uncurls fully, rubbing at his Core a bit. It was definitely still producing too rapidly, so he starts making little ice sculptures with his hands while eyeballing the lab door. Danny waves one hand over his shoulder, “you can come back. The _frost_ won’t _bite_ you”.

Lewis is glad he’s got thick socks as he comes back in, Jazz promptly sitting back down and looking like nothing weird had ever happened to her in her entire life. Lewis quirks an eyebrow at Danny, his eyes could also glow blue? “Nice eyes”.

Danny chuckles and tosses him one of the little ice popcorns, “I got two kinds of ectoplasm remember?”, pointing an ice sword toothpick at his eyes, “Core ectoplasm”. 

Jazz nods, “you’ve seen his regular ectoplasm overproducing, this is his Core ectoplasm overproducing”. Danny does little jazz hands, snow falling from his palms. Cryokinesis for sure. Lewis is firmly glad Danny didn’t ‘flash freeze’ at the hospital, that would have damaged the equipment. 

* * *

It doesn’t take long for Danny to decide to retire to his room, Lewis joining him because he’s pretty well required to. Jack and Maddie fully expecting him to keep a medical eye on Danny. Especially with his body doing weird ghost things. 

Lewis blinks upon entering Danny’s room, he was more than a little used to the smell of viscera; even rotting flesh and sepsis. Even once worked on a lady whose breast implant ruptured during surgery and turned out to be filled with mould. That had been an _interesting_ day. Danny’s room, however, smells suitably like death. It’s not the _worst_ smell, but it was up there; and there was definitely no strong near burning scent of sanitiser to accompany it. Commenting, “clean your room”, as he eyeballs the desk chair with a level of caution only a guy who gives medical treatment to a man-eating alien can convey. 

Danny rolls his eyes and flops on his bed, chucking a snowball at the wall, “eh, it’s not _that_ bad. Plus, that would take _forever_”.

Considering Lewis decidedly sidesteps a slightly squishy section of floor, he thinks it is indeed that bad. Giving the chair another once over before sitting and leaning back in it. 

Danny rolls his eyes at Lewis’s dubious eyebrows, “you smell gore all the time and you’re friends place can’t be all that much better”, pointing with his tail at Lewis, “do you wear anything other than dress shirts?”. 

“Not particularly, and their place smells more like the college dorm of someone who never learned to clean or cook properly. Yours smells like a morgue that’s never seen an ounce of sanitiser but someone sprayed citrus air fresheners to make up for it”. 

Danny chuckles and comments with fake wistfulness, “ahh that’s the smell of death, sweet sweet ectoplasm. That’s a scent I can’t really do much about though, since me ecto-contaminating my room to the Zone and back is unavoidable”, floating up and over to his window, gesturing out, “it’s a scent everywhere in Amity, my room and the lab are really the only places a regular humans nose will pick up on it though”. 

Lewis figures that does make sense for his room to smell like ectoplasm then, watching as Danny’s tail is still shedding ectoplasm a bit excessively, “the lab?”. 

Danny nods and points at his floor, “right below us, pretty well packed with ecto-samples, ecto-inventions, and of course, the portal. It gets cleaned more often though and all the surfaces are non-permeable and somewhat ecto-phobic”. Honestly, it was a bit of a wonder that the basement wasn't worse than his room.

Lewis doesn’t get to comment on that as Maddie knocks on the door, “you in there sweetie? And Dan?”. Danny frowns slightly and responds with a little less cheeriness than normal, “yeah, supper?”.

Maddie says, “yup”, while Lewis claps his hands on his knees and gets up; Danny slipping back into the hover cushion. 

Maddie’s not happy there’s still a green ring glow to Danny’s eyes. But at least they were blue now and the glow was faint. And at least the glow was just the colour of general ectoplasm not red or something. His...tail...is still moving a bit erratically but it’s clear Danny’s making a point to keep it mostly contained in the hover cushion. 

Lewis smirks slightly at seeing Jack fiddling with the freezer, clearly the two thought the freezer was responsible for the kitchen freeze over, “strong freezer?”.

Jack laughs, “yup! Froze the whole house over once!”.

Lewis eyes Danny as he sits down, Danny promptly answering the unasked question, “it’s true, I was honestly impressed”. Lewis chuckles over that, the freezer must get blamed for so many ice-related mishaps. 

Danny does absolutely note that neither of his parents brought the legs up, quirking an eyebrow, “Cyber’s don’t got an easy fix?”, before shoving a fork full of spaghetti noodles in his mouth. 

Maddie sighs and nods, “unfortunately yeah, the connections are correct and everything but the timing seems off and we had to build in a conductor to counteract how much ectoplasm it takes”. 

Jack nods with a slight frown, swallowing his food before speaking, “can’t let it take too much and it has to control how much output there is otherwise they’ll be way too strong. And! This way if you’re lower on ectoplasm somedays than others there would be a reserve! Since these are supposed to be a long term solution”.

Danny chuckles, him being lower on ectoplasm literally never happens. Well okay, that wasn’t entirely true. He actually uses his ectoplasm pretty frequently, so it probably does actually fluctuate. If they just drained the same amount form him all the time then, wow yeah that could have some bad consequences. That would be really bad if he was in a tough fight and feeding these legs resulted in him not having enough ectoplasm in the end to maintain ghost form. Plus there was the massive drain that was his Wail. So these legs being able to hold a reserve and just _not feed off him_ when he was lower in ecto-energy would be a damn good thing. Nodding slightly, “yeah okay, that makes sense. So the timer’s off? Or they just can’t start/stop properly?”. 

Jack nods, “exactly! But I’m sure we’ll figure that out! We just somehow need a timer that is way more powerful and capable of starting and stopping all or just specific functions easily and without taking up much room”. 

Jazz tilts her head, “what about using the same sort of thing as ecto-batteries do for output control? I know that their input control is pretty janky still, but it’s halfway there”. 

Maddie shakes her head and Lewis is pretty sure at this point that every Fenton is basically an expert on Fenton tech. While Maddie responds, “that was what we tried first, the input in those is just simply too unstable and finicky to be so close to a strong ecto-energy source. Especially for so long”. 

Jack nods and speaks almost too eagerly, “they’d explode! They did explode in fact! It was very messy...”.

Danny scrunches his eyebrows and laughs, yeah that would be quite the mess. Not as bad as the portal exploding or even the portals ecto-filter exploding but still. Danny snorts, “yeah that would probably be unpleasant if they just blew up on me, but it would be really eventful if that happened at school”, chuckling with a shake of his head, “now that would really confuse some teachers”. 

Jazz sighs, “they wouldn’t even be surprised since it’s you”. 

Danny points at her, “hey now, I think my legs blowing up would really be a new high, or new low depending on how you look at it, for me”. 

Lewis tilts his head, “you know...a friend of mine has blown quite a few things up. Mostly intentionally though”, pointing at Danny, “I’m not sure if I told you this, but they blew up a rocket-ship once. Their reasoning was sound”. 

Danny gives Lewis a look of deep offence, “not cool. But considering everything, yeah they probably had good reasons”. 

Jack beams at the conversation, clearly Danny and Dan have become good friends! He was friend-sharing with his boy! Sure it was clear there was something between Danny and Vlad, but Jack isn’t as dense as he seems. Usually he is, but not always. He knew that those two disliked each other on a deep level. They seemed to do things purely to annoy each other, it was almost like a little rivalry. Just a hate rivalry rather than a friendly one. Which was weird, because V-man was great! Sure he was a little reclusive, but so what? Smiling and finishing off his plate, trying to think up a way to correct the issues with the CyberSteps. 

They needed something small yet strong, have a central location but to either be or have affect all over, it couldn’t run off Danny’s ectoplasm_ or life-force_ and it couldn’t really have a battery of it’s own, it would have to be easy to access without being easily damaged, and of course it would have to look good too; no way was he sticking his boy in something hideous. Which, yes, was absolutely part of why he liked the idea of the legs looking something like Danny’s missing jumpsuit. Jumpsuits were a Fenton staple! Even if Danny was getting one in a rather strange and not so pleasant manner. At least he didn’t have to die for one! Though near death was still rather unpleasant. But! At least he seemed okay and well adjusted to it! And of course the legs did have plenty of jumpsuit qualities. The metal, like all FentonWorks products metal, was slightly ecto-phobic. Only enough so that ectoplasm wouldn’t damage it of course. They couldn’t make the legs as ecto-resistant and ecto-phobic as true hunter jumpsuits, because that might interfere with Danny’s ectoplasm; or at least the health or production of his ectoplasm. However it was that happened. 

Sometimes he did wonder if Danny was somehow ecto-absorbent and was just stockpiling all the free-floating ectoplasm in the house and town. Of course if that was the case, then Danny’s levels would have dropped a fair bit during his hospital stay. But that didn’t happen, so somehow his body was self-producing. Could be that his body had become accustomed to having ectoplasm and thusly adapted. But factoring in the tail, Jack thinks it’s much more likely that Danny’s ghost was somewhat active inside him. At the very least the tail was _definitely_ Danny-boy’s ghost showing. Just the ghost of his legs, which was still really cool actually! 

Jack taps his chin and nods slightly, watching Danny’s tail wiggle around. Danny wasn’t shifting around or even paying the tail any mind, so clearly he was used to. More so than just a few days would really make sense. Heck! Jack had been stuck with an arm brace for weeks once! He firmly never got used to having that, but maybe Danny was just much more adaptable. After all, he had gotten used to living in the worlds most haunted town and house with fondness! Though sometimes he seemed a little fond of ghosts themselves, instead of just the pride of living in a unique town. It was weird, but maybe he saw something they didn’t! Or maybe the little bit of ghostliness he had made him see them a bit differently. Or! Maybe he actually experienced more ghostly stuff than just physical things. Sometimes it did seem like he was forcefully hiding things. And he did hide the tail really effectively, Jack hadn’t even noticed the ghostly body part at all! 

Maddie meanwhile, isn’t having any better luck on figuring out how to fix the legs. Possibly Dan could help, but that wasn’t too likely. But at least he might have some different ideas or can look at it from a different perspective. Being a surgeon he definitely had a keener eye and steady hand. Jack had always been more of the inventor and mechanic, and he was definitely not careful or all that keen eyed. She was much more of the scientist and detail oriented. But even she missed things. Looking Dan over quickly, it would be best to set his room up first, even if he wasn’t moved in right now he would be soon enough. Gathering up the plates, “now that everyone’s done their food, you up for finishing up setting up the spare room, Dan?”.

Lewis smiles and nods, it was the polite thing to do of course. Though he wouldn’t really care how it was set up, so long as he’s got a good bed and the area was clean, he’s good. And at least Danny isn’t visibly wincing over his name now, slight deer-in-the-headlights look aside, so positives. 

Danny, meanwhile, had had a mild mental freak out thinking that his mom was calling _him _by that name. Which Jazz clearly picked up on, “and me and Danny can just watch tv. Where you can easily stick your heads out and check on us”. Danny nods a bit stiffly and the three adults nod in return before heading upstairs. 

Lewis chuckles at seeing nothing more than a bed and dresser, it was fine really but judging by the rest of the house, minimalism wasn’t really a thing here. Though he knows for damn sure they cleaned up before he came over. People always did if a doctor was coming over or patient returning home. Just like people always bushed their teeth more often before seeing their dentist. These two even more likely did a massive clean up, if the house was really as bad as Danny had implied it to be. 

They wind up deciding to just move things around some and add a few more pieces of furniture. Lewis commenting as he pushes around a little side table, “so what theories do you two have over the ghost tail? Being ghost experts and all”. 

Jack beams, glad his friend’s curious, even if it was likely largely because of Danny being his patient, “I’m sure there could be many reasons! But we’re both pretty sure the only real option is that it’s the ghost of his legs!”.

Maddie nods, if there were other possibilities they’ve never heard of such things, “I think Danny has enough ectoplasm in his system from the ecto-contamination that it’s able to actually be connected enough to him to materialise his ghost”, sighing slightly, “but of course that means that him becoming a ghost one day is inevitable”. Maddie’s not sure if Danny’s clued in on that fact, if he has then he’s either ignoring it or he’s too ghost tolerant. 

Lewis nods, Danny’s already a ghost so they’re not exactly wrong. He just had the tail because he had two bodies with lower extremities, not one. And only one had actually lost them entirely, so the other was simply taking their place until he was fixed up. And he _would _be fixed up. But Maddie’s bothered sigh definitely did not go unnoticed by Lewis, “you seem bothered by that?”.

Jack shakes his head rapidly, “oh no! The tails kind of cool! And Danny-boys clearly comfortable with it!”. 

Maddie giggles slightly and shakes her head at Jack, “not that Jack dear. I’m pretty sure he means the becoming a ghost thing”, Lewis just nods when she looks to him so she answers his question, “of course. Ghosts are dangerous cruel emotionless things. I wouldn’t be happy about anyone become one of those things”, sighing, “but with his ghost being partially formed like this, maybe his ghost won’t lose Danny’s memories or his emotions will carry over to the ectoplasm somehow”. 

Lewis frowns a little, ghosts lost their living life’s memories? Though he’s pretty sure ghosts don’t lack emotions. Danny seemed to be entirely emotionally there, if ghosts didn’t have emotions then Danny’s should be muted. They definitely were _not_. While Jack jumps in, “and he’s a Fenton! If any ghost could be good, it would be a Fenton’s!”. 

Lewis tilts his head, “sounds like you’re working under absolutes. Universals. An ‘all ghosts are inherently bad’ theory. I remember taking a few psych courses as an undergrad. The theory of ‘all humans are inherently bad’ was a pretty common and debated one”, waving his hand around some and ignoring their slight frowns, “of course, that was always followed by nothing but objections. Especially with such universals being nothing more than hypotheticals. As the only things truly universal about behavioural universals is that they are universally inaccurate and generally only cloud judgments”, chuckling slightly, “though belief in universals can certainly make my job more interesting. Debating with the inebriated can be quite thought-provoking”, tilting his hand back and forth in the air, “as for dangerous, dangerous can be good. Logically I’m quite dangerous, as are you two. Really, humans as a whole are impressively dangerous, heck dealing with the dangerous side of humans is half my job”. Though Danny’s list of powers implied he was more than just a bit dangerous. Danny was explicitly _extremely_ dangerous actually. 

Maddie and Jack exchange a glance, neither going to disagree with his last statement, he probably saw attempted and successful murder victims; and all three of them were definitely dangerous. But they did it for _good_, ghosts were selfish and only sought to harm or cause mischief. Maddie replying, “you’ve been talking with Danny some, haven’t you?”, shaking her head slightly as she sets up a little light, “sometimes universal are true. Ghosts are nothing but ectoplasm. That’s all that makes up their forms. None of that can convey emotions. They’re driven by nothing but instincts and Obsession. Humans are more complex. Ghosts are what remains after a person dies, all that human complexity staying with the body. The ghost left with nothing but human post-consciousness”. 

Jack nods, “ectoplasm that a human mind imprinted their last strongest desires on. Creating the Obsession! Those that die peacefully and satisfied don’t become ghosts”. 

Lewis is officially wondering if they know about not all ghosts once being alive. Because if they did they were firmly ignoring that purely to fit their theory, and that doesn’t sound right. So he’s not going to mention that since Danny’s the only reason Lewis knows and they’d question how Danny knew. Though now Lewis is also wondering just what the Hell happened with Danny for him to have a protection focused Obsession. The only thing he can think of is that someone else was in danger at the time. That, or it was because whatever creates a halfa was more than a little weird. Tapping his chin, “people used to believe plants emotionless and uncaring. Until that was proven to be rather wrong; even if they were simple things. And truthfully, humans aren’t complex themselves. Just flesh being able to be put to multiple different uses based off of DNA plans. You could say that the human body and self is nothing more than flesh imprinted by genetic plans created by their parents. And personality, well that’s the whole nature vs nurture debate”, twirling his hand in the air as he re-aligns one of the desk drawers, “plus, universals really do not exist. If there is even one outlier then the universal is untrue. Which is actually largely the bases of nature vs nurture and why there will never truly be an answer. Plus to go on the complexity argument, language requires complexity even if said language didn’t need to be learned. Same with making executive decisions”, tilting his head, “logically, an Obsession of any kind would require executive decision making. Otherwise instincts would actually overrule said Obsession. When it seems pretty clear that Obsession overrules instincts. And even working under the idea that said Obsession is simply the impression of a living beings last strongest thoughts even while dying unpleasantly, then logically most Obsessions would actually be _positive_ rather than harmful. Since most people’s strongest dying desires involve getting peace or wishing to have seen happier times”, frowning slightly because that’s appropriate when talking about death, “I’ve heard even the cruellest of people wish for only that. To eat good food, to be alone, to bask in sunny days, to claim that prize they never could; like fame, fortune, or love. Not a lot of people die wanting to cause harm. Playful mischief sure”. 

Jack tilts his head and blinks, that did make sense. And there was _Phantom_. Who was an outlier to nearly _everything_. 

Maddie shakes her head, “only those of ill intent would be damned to exist as a ghost; and the possibility of Danny becoming a ghost doesn’t count as he became rather ghostly beforehand”. 

Lewis shrugs, “powers seem like a dream come true for many. If you ask me, it seems more like the universe acknowledging that someone died horribly, unjustly or with an incomplete existence. Thusly giving their being the chance to indulge in and focus on one thing they valued highly at their time of passing; free from the constraints of the living world and with all the power needed to fulfil their desires”, tilting a hand and his head back and forth a bit, “and maybe some become ghosts because their existence is vital or needed for one reason or another”. Lewis has a gut feeling that the ClockWork ghost was genuinely needed. And maybe Danny had access to so many powers purely because he needed them to fulfil his Obsession, in-fact he had pretty well _said that_ without truly realising the possible deeper meaning. 

Jack blinks hard and gapes slightly, muttering, “is Phantom _needed_ to _control other ghosts_?”, looking to Maddie and asking, “could there be other kinds of ghosts? Ones that are ‘needed’ ghosts and the regular evil ones? Because Phantom, he’s _always_ different. Different kinds of ghosts! Subsections of ghosts! Beyond just dead’s! Whole nother aspects to research! and discover!”. 

Lewis blinks, that was _not_ what he was going for but there was multiple kinds of ghosts from what Danny’d said. So this was progress, positives Lewis. Though he might have just made them even _more_ incorrect about Phantom. Since he was, in fact, a ‘dead’ ghost, just not all dead. Like Eddie was technically an alien, just not really. 

Maddie scrunches up her eyebrows, that was a very different take on ghosts. And, unlike pretty well every theory they’ve come up with, it accounts for Phantom’s oddness. And Jack was clearly hooked on this idea, of course he was, it meant more possible theories and aspects to research. Tapping her chin, “maybe”, looking at Lewis, “but their existence, powers or not, are a damnation. Being bound to an Obsession, the feral instincts, lacking emotions, the constant battles, being trapped in a dimension of chaos, indefinitely existing in that state”, shaking her head, “even if there could be more than one kind and maybe, possibly, them not be evil and cruel; they’d still be surrounded by ones that are”. 

Lewis, coming on a bit of an idea, “so an idea of two _races_ of ghosts. One that’s possibly okay and good due to acting in alignment with what you deem okay. And one _race_ that is automatically bad and evil and thusly _lesser_, due to behaviours that differ from your own. I feel like I’ve heard this one before”, Lewis let’s them sit with that statement for a bit before continuing, “I’d say there being multiple kinds of ghosts only makes sense. Even something as simple as grass or lilies have hundreds of variants. Even rib bones vary wildly. Blood type, brain structure, skin texture; everything has variants”, shaking his head some, “I still don’t buy the emotionless idea. To go along with my earlier idea of becoming a ghost functionally being a gift in repentance for an inadequate life. I’d say it’s likely ghosts _like_ being as they are. An Obsession that’s more like a well-loved hobby. Instincts can be fun or lifesavers, otherwise no one would like adrenaline rushes even half as much as they do. Even humans love fighting, so that’s a moot point. One persons chaos is another’s persons idea of freedom, hence why _so_ many people wish the apocalypse would actually happen”, Lewis shrugs, “people _love_ the idea of the break down of societal norms and spending their days fighting, living as they please. And maybe ghosts only exist as long as they need to or until they’re finally satisfied”. 

Maddie and Jack share a look, their running theory _was _that ghosts ‘moved on’ once their Obsession was satisfied. And neither really have anything to counteract Dan’s statements this time. This wasn’t some whimsical idealism from their kids or other teens. This was coming from someone who had definitely seen the darker side to the world, was highly educated -more so than them in truth-, and didn’t truly have invested interest or stakes in what they believed. Maddie mutters, “maybe so”, as she looks out over Amity through the window. Their town was basically a ghost playground and as much as she tried to ignore everything Phantom did, there’s no way her and Jack -even with the help of The Red Huntress- could keep a handle on all the ghosts. They needed sleep, they got hurt easier, they weren’t naturally equipped with weapons; the list went on. So saying Phantom was...needed...wasn’t, wrong. 

Jack scratches his head some, many people did say the Fenton’s were chaos. But it was their chaos and they loved it. He was also oddly reminded of the war. 

Lewis, seeing they’re both off in their own little worlds, decides to ground all these hypotheses and detached contemplations. Because regardless of how overarching the ideas were or what his two friends' passion was, Danny -or more so Danny’s ghost- was the end focus. He’s positive, without a doubt, they value their kids above their opinions and research. Clearing his throat and walking next to the couple looking out the window, “all this conjecture aside. There’s one thing I think we can all agree is more than likely an eventual certainty, is Danny becoming a ghost”. 

Maddie simply nods while Jack says, “yeah”. 

“One of the big things those of us in the medical field are taught is patient relations. You don’t just tell someone they have a horribly disfiguring condition, that only serves to hurt them and make them more difficult. Or, if I am to be blunt, make them seek to destroy themselves. If someone has to deal with something eventually for the rest of their days, telling them how horrible it is, is the opposite of a good idea”. Lewis simply nods slightly to himself over their mildly horrified faces, clearly realising where they’ve messed up. Because honestly? Even if they _were right_ and Danny_ wasn’t already a ghost and thusly aware they were wrong_, telling him that what he was/would likely become were all inherently evil violent monsters; was dumb, unhealthy, and kind of mean. If Eddie did that to Vee, everyone would be being eaten by aliens right now. If he hadn’t just _accepted _Vee changing their mind and hadn’t been basically complimenting them, even with all the gratuitous murder; Lewis, Eddie and Anne would all be very dead. Or Eddie would just be a meat puppet. 

Tilting his head and thinking on that, “I have a friend. They come from a family of violence, killers even. Yet they are arguably good, they save lives even. They’re supported, encouraged, to be good. And just a little tiny bit of that encouragement and support was all they needed to do good”, looking at the two of them, who look back, “if you tell someone they’re doomed to be evil or bad, they’re likely going to be. Even if you don’t say them specifically. And saying ‘oh you’re an exception’, doesn’t help”, looking back out the window and tilting his head, “in fact, that’ll just make them feel like a weird freak. Some folks like being the freak and outlier, but most want to fit in. Even if that means doing bad. Groupthink, herd mentality, conformity. Not always a good thing”. 

Deciding now might the time to leave them be, instead of overwhelming them, Lewis turns and heads to the door, speaking cheerily, “now I’m going to check on my patient before I have to head out”. 

Danny had decidedly ignored the upstairs conversation after Lewis had basically played the racism card, which was firmly jarring. But also made him think, there really wasn’t any issues between the different kinds of ghosts. Sure clans and kingdom stuck to themselves, but ghosts were solitary in general. Really halfas were the only ones treated a bit different, but that made sense. They were literally their own different species in a sense. Halfas bodies followed different rules. But ghosts didn’t treat them like shit. Pretty much just treated him like another ghost, a very rare strong ghost. Vlad was treated more like a human though, so clearly it was more behaviour based. Because Danny did absolutely behave more ghostly, but he was also more ghost than Vlad. Eh, whatever. 

Looking at Lewis as he comes down the stairs, “CW would like you. You think outside the box and can be a deep bastard”. 

Lewis chuckles and shakes his head, “that’s some good hearing you’ve got”. Danny gives a slightly awkward attempt at a thumbs up, while Lewis comes over and indeed looks over the braces and bandaging. Because it’s frankly something of a miracle that he hasn’t ruined Lewis’s work yet again. Clapping Danny on the shoulder as he stands up, “look at that, it’s all intact. I feel like I should give you a sucker or something”. 

Danny gives an attempt at flipping him off, he can’t bend his fingers enough to truly pull it off though, “oh piss off, maybe I’ll light it all on fire just to bug you”. 

Jazz shakes her head, “please don’t”. 

Lewis chuckles and shakes his head before heading out. If Eddie said that he’d be worried, but Danny was a jokester. 

* * *

Danny’s not sure what to do about his folks giving him weird looks the rest of the evening and he’s firmly happy when there’s a knock on the door and Jazz opens it to reveal Sam, Tuck and Val. Danny instantly sending them an, probably overacted, expression of ‘dear Ancients please save me’. The three shake their heads and/or chuckle, before eyeballing his hover cushion. Tuck snorts and bends over laughing, Danny just rolls his eyes and points over his shoulder at the stairs. Everyone promptly following him to his room. 

Sam and Tuck instantly flopping down in their beanie bags while Val stops and scrunches up her nose, Danny points a hand at her, “don’t you go telling me my room smells like death with a side of death”. She gives him a look clearly saying that it indeed does. So okay fine, maybe he really _should _clean. 

Danny promptly parks the hover cushion on the ground, floats over to his bed, and sits on it. Val joining him and looking at the hover cushion, “why are you even using that? Probably better to practice with the tail”.

Sam, Tucker, and Danny all responding, “parents”. Valerie just shakes her head, Danny’s parents disliked ghosts a lot but surely not so much they’d stop him from getting around with what he’s got? Maybe Danny was just trying to avoid freaking them out, that was a very Danny thing to do. Absentmindedly petting at Danny’s tail as it sort of wiggles and coils around her arm and legs, Danny was clearly just letting it do what it wanted. Firmly ignoring how Sam is just _glaring _at her, the ear full she had gotten from the two on the way over had been a bit much. She was glad he had such good friends, but that didn’t make dealing with the protectiveness any less unpleasant. Deciding to ignore Sam even more by flopping to actually lay down, patting the vibrating tail, “I’m almost surprised your dad’s not making you do excerise laps with it. But yeah I guess it’s smart to warm them up to it slowly”. 

Tucker snorts, “I’m surprised they haven’t already stuck him in leg prototypes”.

Danny points at him, making a damn point to not purr contentedly from Val’s lazy petting. Which just yay, she was more or less comfortable with it. Gesturing at his waist, “oh they totally did. It’s practically finished, just some kinks, namely that it supercharged my ‘plasm”, vibrating the tail a bit excessively which Val does jerk, startled, a bit over. While Danny continues speaking, “tail was literally and figuratively vibrating out of my skin. Still a little hard to wrangle in”.

Valerie gives it another pat, the end curling around her wrist, “at least it’s healed and healthy though”.

Tucker raises an eyebrow and laughs, “wait, they actually made something that strengthened ectoplasm? Seriously?”.

Danny points at him, “and it was somewhat intentional. They’re making a point of not letting the, yes they already named them, CyberSteps take too much of my ‘plasm as fuel and they built in this reserve thing, but there’s timer issues and stuff. Oh, and get this”, Danny smirks, full well knowing his friends will get it but Val will be a bit confused, “the colour palette is light grey with dark grey boots. Pale and dark green lines over top. Very cyber jumpsuit esque”. 

Sam and Tucker exchange a glance and smirk. Of course his folks went with Danny’s original jumpsuit design. Tucker chuckles, “your dead shits always gotta have the suiting colour scheme I guess dude”, smirking, “they just had to get you in one even if you had to die a little”. 

Danny smirks right back, “it is a _killer_ look, very _form-fitting_ for my very literal _dead ass_. Phantom skins for phantom limbs”.

Tucker blinks, goes slightly wide-eyed and points at Danny, leaning forward out of his beanie bag, “more like Phantom tin, you’re a metal ass now”, speaking with meaning and thick humour, “you... _tincan_”. 

Danny blinks, oh Ancients Skulker was going to have a field day with this. He might mock him or be proud, hard to say. Smirking devilishly, “only half tin-can. So skin-can”.

Valerie screws up her face, she did not need that mental image, and smacks Danny’s head, “that’s disgusting!”.

Danny just laughs, “well I got opened up like a can!”, before flopping down to lay partly across her stomach, tail coiling around his waist some and flicking off the bed, “I’m awful and I know it”.

Sam glares slightly at the two, while Tucker almost awkwardly says, “then clap your hands?”. Which Danny actually does, making everyone laugh a little. Before Sam and Tucker both get up and join the two on the bed. 

Danny snickers, “can’t wait till these braces are off, then I’ll have back my right to bare arms”. 

Val sighs but smiles slightly, “I wish you still had the right to legs”. 

Danny snorts, “I guess I just didn’t have enough of _a motional attachment_ to stop doc from _spiriting them away_”. 

“Zone goddamnit Danny”. 

Danny smirks and pokes Valerie and Sam with his tail, “what? Ya can’t expect me to have any decency, after all, I’ve got no _soles_”. 

Sam groans, though internally smiling, Danny making jokes was always a sign either he was good or he was getting his ass absolutely handed to him. “And now the horrible jokes come out”. 

Danny snickers, he had so much new material to work with now; leg jokes, amputation jokes, robot jokes, should probably work on some...cannibalism jokes, “I would complain about you trashing on my great choice of words, but I’ve got _no legs to stand on_”. 

Val wheezes, sounding almost pained. While Tucker pokes Danny, “at least that one won’t be applicable soon”. 

Danny waves him off, “eh, I can just detach ‘em”.

Tucker debates right back, “but you still own said legs. So you still have legs, attached or not”.

“Fuck you and your semantics”.

After sitting in silence for a bit Tucker pipes up, “soooooo... sworn to secrecy? Any gossip you ain’t gonna be tight-lipped about?”. 

Both Sam and Valerie asking, “‘sworn to secrecy’?”. Which Tucker laughs over before sitting up and looking at the two girls, ignoring Danny’s slight glare as Tucker responds, “doctor dudes been telling Danny tales about his friends and Danny here hinted at some of them being more than a little weird”. 

Valerie quirks an eyebrow at Danny, not surprised there was more stories, “the ones who had a lovers quarrel that involved assault with a fridge and Lewis getting hit with a pan?”. 

Sam shakes her head, “are we talking about the ones that got into a car chase with bombs and attempted to murder your doctor?”. Valerie coughs and goes a bit wide-eyed at that and squints at Danny with an ‘are you serious?’ look. 

Danny chuckles, “oh yeah, seeing as those two are apparently his only friends, shits been out of this world”, Danny jabs Tucker a bit hard, “and I ain’t got any stories to be telling. Probably shoulda asked him while he was here if I could”. 

Valerie scoffs, dramatic Danny, “oh whatever, if he’s telling you then clearly it’s not really secret”. 

“Val, I practically know their life stories. I wouldn’t even be surprised at this point if Lewis showed up with baby pictures”. Danny almost hopes he does, because baby phots of _aliens_, he is so here for that. They probably don’t exist though. Heck, what would baby balls of slime or whatever even look like? Tiny slimes? Little blobs of goo? Are their cradles just like little play doo containers? How would a ball of goo even have kids? How are they born? Was Vee a tiny little blob of black murder once? A murder baby of questionable size and solidity? Heck, did Symbiotes even care for their young? He’s pretty sure the answer to that one is a firm no. Muttering, “now I’m making myself sad”. 

Sam shakes her head, “hey, I’m supposed to be the one supplying doom and gloom here, not your doctors friends and babies”. While Valerie fiddles with Danny’s tail, “how does babies even make someone sad?”.

Danny sticks his arms up into the air, “I’m just thinking of them all tiny and alone. Just a little mess left to survive by chance or die”. 

Valerie shakes her head, she knew how rough circumstances or childhood could lead to being weird, abandoned from birth would be worse for sure, “no wonder doctor guy described them as being a drunkard mess”. 

Danny waves her off, “oh no, the drunkard is the other friend”.

Valerie breathes out, “sweet Zone, well does that one have a good reason?”. 

Danny snorts and promptly nods but says nothing, which Tucker groans over, “awww come on man. How ‘bout we call the doc and ask?”.

“He’s probably in surgery Tuck, having his personal time with the bone saw. Though Anne’s probably off work by now, if she left just as early this morning as yesterday”. 

Tucker laughs, “ooooh the lady, I approve this plan. And what, doc attached to the tools of his trade”, Tucker gives his PDA a quick peck for effect. While Sam grumbles about how that would be so dangerous to do with a _saw_. 

Danny chuckles a little, while Tucker goes about calling the Lewis house, probably through the microwave. Danny commenting, “I’m not about to claim to know how much a surgeon is supposed to use that, but I don’t think it’s that much. And Tuck, Anne seems more likely to throw a fashionable heel at you, than amuse your womanising ways”.

Sam smiles and sighs, “I like her already”. Sam, Danny and Valerie all groan at Tucker actually going through with calling. 

Anne’s voice coming through sounding only slightly annoyed, “use the phone”, then promptly giving the house number. Sam hangs up for Tucker at that point and everyone waits for Anne to pick up from the actual house phone. 

She sounds quite pleased with herself, “there, that’s much better. If you’re also calling for a rain check to clean up a questionable mess, I will be a bit amused”. 

Danny coughs, pretty sure ‘questionable mess’ translated to bloodbath, “Zone no, Tuck wants the gossip on your twos odd friends. And unlike a certain doc, I don’t ‘tell tales’ as he puts it. Without the go-ahead anyway”. 

Tucker, Sam, and Valerie then give out a chorus of hellos and Tucker throws in his two cents, “y’all know Danny dudes weird shit, me and the goth know _all_ his shit. And the _girlfriend_ knows a bit”. 

Valerie grumbles, “hey, I think I know him pretty well”. 

Anne’s pretty sure that’s one blatant way to say that the ‘girlfriend’ definitely did _not_ know somethings. She’d thrown off a text to the group chat pretty well as soon as Danny had stop talking, not even surprised when the response had been ‘you’re a better judge of character than I am. AND LESS OF AN IDIOT. Asshole. TELL THEM WE WILL EAT THEIR SPLEEN IF THEY HURT EDDIE. Fuck no, don’t’, at least Vee had the decency to always use all caps. Anne huffs, amused, before responding to the collection of teens, “your friends hardly seem like the super law-abiding type, so go ahead. Eddie’s signed off on it, and Vee only threatened to eat their spleens, which a person can live without, so that’s as good as a green light as there is”. 

Danny cringes a little, “I’m assuming said eating is more of a ‘don’t hurt us or else’ than anything else?”, Valerie just coughs a bit startled. While Tucker mutters, “I like my spleen though”. Sam just laughs. 

“Yeah, Vee’s the protective type”.

Sam, Tucker and Valerie all groan, Tucker jabbing Danny in the arm, “well that definitely sounds familiar. Though I think I’d choke if Danny-dude threatened someone with organ eating”. 

Anne chuckles, “it’s Vee’s go to, not that they even need a reason to threaten someone. They threatened to decapitate a pigeon at lunch today. You kids really should be going to bed, don’t get in too much trouble; or at least get into less than Eddie and Vee do”. 

They all say bye at Tucker’s PDA as she hangs up. Danny shaking his head a little, while Tucker laughs, “sounds like they truly are as reckless as our idiot”, then sitting up and looking down at Danny, “so spill dude, just how weird are the two friends that doctor dude thinks they’re weirder than you, a guy with a ghostly tail instead of legs and whatnot”. 

Danny puts up his hands and says with a goofy smirk, “_aliens_”, then shrugging, “or alien really”. Because really, that is absolutely what should be started with. 

Valerie raises an eyebrow after a bit, “oh you’re serious, are you sure they’re not pulling your leg?”.

Danny chuckles, “if Vee’s human I will eat my carpet”. 

Valerie grimaces while Tucker laughs, though Sam’s the one to ask, “that convincing? Where they from then?”.

Danny throws his hands around animatedly, “besides space, which is awesome, Klyntar, also the species name. Called Symbiotes here though. Crazy mad scientist dude brought them here and tried to fuse people to them to survive in space, yeah really dumb. He got blown up in a rocket”.

Sam grunts, “same rocket Lewis said these friends blew up? And yeah Lewis probably isn’t lying with there being genuine details”. 

Tucker pokes Danny, “if you replace us with an alien I will be sad but also impressed”. While Valerie mutters, “no wonder doctor isn’t bothered by weird. I guess aliens ain’t that much different from ghosts”. 

Danny chuckles before raising an eyebrow and snorting, elbowing Valerie, “you might actually think they ain’t all that different. Unless your opinions on ghosts have changed”. 

Valerie grumbles, “a little I guess. Less evil, more just usually bad”. Both Sam and Tucker mockingly gape and gasp. Danny just grins like an idiot a little and wiggles his tail in the air, “spooktastic. The better ghosts probably don’t come to the land of the living much. But Symbiotes, Vee’s literally exiled and was basically supposed to be killed for _not_ being a totally evil world-conquering and devouring monster. Because they want to coexist and love their host. It’s really adorable actually”, Danny snickers a little, “it’s a Disney Princess story where true love saves the world, just uh, with aliens and explosions and body snatching and human experimentation and probably a lot of death”. Danny grumbles, because really, he’s not sure how he feels about the idea of his very human, and thus more vulnerable, friends being around someone who _eats humans_, “still weird Eddie’s just _okay_ with body roommate lover and the whole _diet_ thing. Through that does take attached at the hip to its highest conclusion”, tilting his head and poking Valerie, “it’d be like you dating your suit, if it was sentient”.

Valerie glances at her arm a bit incredulously, while Tucker smacks Danny’s arm, “wait, hold up, Vee lives inside Eddie? Literally symbiotic? That sounds like it might be hilarious. And lots of death? And you, with your shit, are okay with that?”.

Danny nods rapidly, “Vee’s, like, just a puddle of black goo that squishes around Eddie’s organs and shit”, before shrugging awkwardly, “as for the death thing, me and Doc had one intense ass conversation about that. I don’t approve, not even kinda, but I understand. And I guess, technically, it’s not much different than humans eating cows”, Danny looks around at the confused and slightly concerned faces, poking Tucker, “you remember the whole need to eat meat thing that you were slightly jealous of? Yeah, very specifically human meat, so maybe don’t be jealous at all”. 

Valerie coughs, that’s more than just disgusting. Tucker pulls a face but shrugs, “I mean, I’d try if offered”. Everyone looks at him judgingly, while Danny shakes his head, “I wouldn’t tell them that if I were you. I seriously wouldn’t be surprised if they shoved a chunk of something in your face”. 

Sam gets up and shakes her head, “that’s disgusting”, continuing to speak while gathering up her stuff, “but if they’re not here then whatever-”.

Tucker butts in as he gets up too, “oh no, Danny dude said he was gonna hang out with them”. 

Both Valerie and Sam hit Danny and snap, “idiot! Why?!?”. 

Danny shrugs exaggeratedly, it was probably stupid to agree to that but ClockWork approved and they did have a ton in common, “we’ve got somethings in common, very _black and white_ fellow and _timely_ too. And aliens! I have so many questions! They’re, like, super super old; who knows all the planets they’ve been to!”.

Sam facepalms and shakes her head, though picking up that ClockWork said this was fine and these two must be heroes or something, “you’re a reckless idiot”, putting her hand on her hip, “if they hurt you or eat you, I’ll be finding something new for your parents to want to dissect”, then looking to Valerie, “you coming?”.

Valerie rolls her eyes and glares, scooting to sit with her back leaning against Danny’s shoulder, “I don’t need to head home yet”. While Danny mutters, “can you even dissect a sorta liquid?”, before shaking his head and giving Sam an unimpressed look, his friends could be far too protective, “Sam, she’s fine and I don’t think you have to worry about Vee, they sound pretty darn wrapped around Eddie’s finger. Through Eddie might be wrapped around theirs too”. 

Sam sighs, “idiot”. Danny’s pretty sure she’s talking about the whole dating Val A.K.A a ghost hunter with extreme prejudice, thing this time. He’s not sure if he should be happy or preparing for an impending verbal lashing when she huffs, shakes her head and turns out the door with a clipped “yeah whatever, see ya”. 

Tucker chuckles at Sam’s back before pointing at Valerie, “I could hack your suit. Danny deserves the best, it’s no secret we don’t really think that’s you”.

Danny growls a little, “for fucks sake, that’s up to me I’d say”. 

Tucker just chuckles and waves as he heads out. Danny floating over to his window and watching Tucker run to catch up with Sam. Their hearts were in the right places but it was kind of annoying. 

Turning his head to Val on the bed and floating back over. Promptly wrapping his tail around her waist, “they're great friends, just a little much sometimes I guess”. 

She shakes her head and flips to lay back down, functionally dragging Danny down with, while she speaks, “I’d say make more friends but your idea of doing that apparently involves weird doctors and what I'm pretty sure qualifies as a sorta cannibal”. 

Danny chuckles a little awkwardly, normal friends would never work out for him, “yeah, and you don’t seem phased by your suit getting brought up? Did you tell them too? You better have done a better job of those reveals”. 

Valerie shrugs, shoving part of a blanket between where Danny’s leaning on top of her slightly and herself. Those braces were pretty darn hard, “they’re practically attached to you, no way they weren’t going to know. I just told them bluntly, I don’t care what they think, Danny. I’m definitely _not _dating them, though we’ll probably become closer friends now I guess. Could Tucker seriously hack my suit though? I know he’s good but still”. 

Danny nods immediately, “I’d be shocked if there’s anything he can’t hack. And I’m not sure if that’s a better or worse reveal. You disappoint me”. Valerie just hits him lightly and they lay in silence for a while, the glow from Danny’s tail the only real source of light in the dark room. Which Danny gets slightly annoyed with the brightness of and throws a blanket over top, sure he was used to his glow being around but genuine darkness was nice to have sometimes; even with his perfect dark vision. Muttering with a bit of a laugh, “I’ll never need another flashlight or nightlight”. 

Valerie fiddles with the blanket and yawns, “less it’s covered. The whole legs thing”.

“Yeah, guess it won’t, or shouldn’t anyway, show through those”, Danny chuckles, “you’re not going home, are you?”. Valerie just smirks and shakes her head, before readjusting into the blankets. 

* * *

Danny’s not surprised Val’s still there in the morning, what he is surprised by is it being just past _noon_ when he wakes up. Looking out the window and just barely catching himself from asking out loud ‘where the heck are all the ghosts?!?!?’, surely Amorpho isn’t still running around playing hero? Pushing himself to sit up and turning to look at Val, who’s fixing her hair in his bedroom mirror, “mornin’ anything interesting while I was out?”. 

She pulls a bobby pin out of her mouth and shoves it into her curly hair, “there was some ghosts I chased down if that’s what you’re asking. Box, Technus, some animals. At least three things have blown up in the basement lab, might be the same three things though”, walking over and poking Danny, who looks a little confused, “ghosts being near makes you shiver or something, since when did you have a ghost sensor? And yes, I figured out how to turn mine off”, grumbling to herself incoherently, because she needed to find some way to make her stuff exclude Danny’s tail. 

Danny blinks, partly wondering why the Zone he didn’t wake up -probably something to do with being injured or something- and slightly annoyed that after all this time _now _is when someone actually notices his ghost sense. Though yeah, if there was ever going to be anyone who noticed his ghostly shit, it would be Val. Rubbing his neck and thusly getting firmly reminded of the stupid braces, “weird, usually that wakes me up”, stretching out and grumbling about being sore. While Val raises an eyebrow at him, “so that’s normal? I pretty much used you as a ghost sensor, chased them off pretty quick so maybe that’s why you didn’t wake up”. 

Danny squints at her with his arms over his head, “did you even sleep? And, uh, yeah normal. Like my little bit of ectoplasm, since you know I’ve got that shit, reacting to their ecto-field or something”. 

Valerie tilts her head and laughs a little, she could use something like that, “guess that’s why you never seem to get caught where ghosts are. You know they’re there and reasonably avoid them”. 

Danny puts a hand to his chest and speaks with mock offence, “me? Reasonable? _Never_”. Considering he actively ran _at them_, which arguably wasn’t a reasonable thing to do. It was what was right and his need of course, but still arguably dumb and dangerous. It was also part of his ghostly nature to fight, socialise like any ghost would. 

Valerie shakes her head with a smile and pushes his shoulder, which he just moves with and lays back down on his bed; her shrugging and crawling in to lay next to him. It was a little weird having a ghostly tail wrapping around her ankle and leg rather than a second pair of legs, not to mention a little cold, but it wasn’t bad. Snickering a bit as rubbing her foot over the tip of It makes him shiver, Danny just blushes a little. The moment getting ruined by a loud bang from downstairs, Danny, chuckling awkwardly, “probably should see what they’re doing”. 

Valerie sighs but relents and gets up, trying not to side-eye Danny too much as he floats over to the hover cushion, it was clearly not made to fit all of his tail, “any clue what they’re working on by chance?”.

Danny snorts and spins the hover cushion in a little circle, “besides legs? And things for them? No clue. Honestly, that’s probably all they’re working on. Which yeah, little worrying, considering the exploding”. 

Valerie raises an eyebrow as she steps out the door, “a ‘little’?”. Danny just rolls his eyes as he follows her down the steps. 

Danny shakes his head at the slightly ridiculous amount of pancakes on the table, his mom looking a little flustered. Danny speaking as he hovers over to his chair and grabs a plate, “Uh? What’s going on? Thanks for the food though”. Valerie opening and closing her mouth a few times before shaking her head and joining Danny at the table for food. 

Maddie looks over Valerie, who must have spent the night, and raises an eyebrow at Danny, “trying to distract from a bit of inventors block sweetie. And morning Valerie”, she says that last bit with a slightly unimpressed tone. 

Danny rolls his eyes and smirks a little, swallowing bits of pancakes before speaking, “it’s not like I can really do anything”, Valerie chokes a bit at that and Maddie gapes at him, while Danny keeps talking, “guessing the timing stuff still isn't cooperating? And heh, bit too soon?”.

Maddie puts on a smile and nods slightly, she’s not sure if she should be happy about the joking or not. And that fact that’s he’s right isn’t really something she wants to think about really. _He can’t have kids._ Not that that should really be a concern for him right now. Jack thankfully saves them from the silence as he bounds up the steps and grins wide, “you’re up! Sleep good!”, Jack keeps speaking after Danny nods, “great! CyberSteps are still giving us some hassle, but! The framework and design is more solidified! So long as you’re cool with the look of them anyway”.

Danny smiles slightly, “do they look pretty well the same as what I saw yesterday?”.

Jack nods eagerly, “yup! Just a bit more defined! Dan gave us some tips on the way muscles would be shaped, so we adjusted some. Looks more realistic!”. Jack nods curtly more so to himself, well aware that Danny-boy wanted these to look realistic, shape wise anyway. Though he’s definitely glad Danny didn’t want them flesh coloured. Still a bit off-putting what exactly they were, replacement legs, but it was almost like working on exoskeleton! And impressing Dan was an awesome bonus! 

Danny raises an eyebrow, “Lewis’s here? And yeah, in that case, the design’s fine with me”. Danny will be surprised if the legs don’t undergo some design changes though, who knows how they’ll have to be modified for the timer thing to work. He’s sure his folks will figure that out eventually, he’s not even sure what he’ll do if they can’t figure something out. Dealing with the regrowing legs thing will be an even bigger basket of problems in that case. 

Jack nods and points a thumb over his shoulder at the lab doors, “awesome! He’s been down helping! And! Pretty sure he said he’s going to be moving in tomorrow too! Having him here is sure an interesting reminder that I wasn’t actually the strangest of my college buddies!”. 

Danny mutters, “understatement, fruit-loops got you both beat by a mile and a half”. He’s not sure anyone other than someone legitimately insane could out crazy Vlad. While Jack sticks a finger in the air, going a bit a wide-eyed, clearly having just remembered something; before running back down the lab stairs.

Danny had just shoved another fork full of pancake in his mouth as Jack comes back up with a little flat disc thing cradled in his hands. Danny can’t help but snort as his dad puts it on Danny’s plate, it was roughly the same shape and thickness as a pancake. While Jack starts talking animatedly, “we’ve made some progress but it’s still super touchy! It keeps blowing up when we get it too close to something with an ecto-field! Which is of course no good...”, Danny pretty well tunes his dad out and stares down at the little device. He was something with an ecto-field. 

And as if on queue, said device cuts off whatever else Jack happened to be saying and promptly explodes; sending pancakes and syrup flying everywhere. 

Which makes for an interesting scene for Lewis to walk up from the lab to. Blinking and looking around, there’s pancake stuck to pretty well every surface and Danny’s plate is smoking. Danny just looks to him slowly and sighs.

Danny, taking in Lewis’s tousled up hair -that somehow still looks poster worthy even with also being peppered with ash- and his burnt dress shit with its sleeves rolled up stylishly, “mornin’ doc, and welcome to the Fenton household”. 

Lewis just watches a pancake slowly slide off the top of Danny’s head and back onto his plate, at least his bandaging and braces looked intact. Positives, Lewis, positives.


	6. The Timeless Combination Of Pancakes And Suffering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny proves he doesn’t know the definition of ‘take it easy’, Lewis becomes a tie thief, and the Fenton parents have a crisis. But at least everyone gets pancakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Ectober Dy 11: time (part 2)

Danny breaks the stretching out silence, with the sound of syrup dripping from the ceiling as the only noise, by smirking at the staring doctor and speaking thick with humour, “what ya staring at, ya _two-legged freak”. _

No one says anything for a beat until a pancake peels off from the ceiling and lands on the floor with a thwap, Lewis wheezes in laughter a little, “at least no one has to worry about you splashing around in pancake rain puddles or something”, shaking his head and decidedly giving the floor pancakes a very wide berth as he walks over to genuinely inspect Danny’s braces. Looks intact doesn’t equal intact after all. And considering stuff exploded, he thinks checking Danny over is only logical, expected probably, “a friend of mine did something like this with eggs and whip cream once. They were trying to bake a cake”. 

Danny holds his arms out to the side a little while his folks fail miserably at subtly making a point not to stare. Valerie quirks an eyebrow while shaking off her hair, asking a bit cautiously, “was whip cream supposed to be part of the actual mixture? Usually that’s reserved for toppings”. She’s opting to studiously ignore the exploded food, she knew this was rather ‘normal’ in the Fenton house; but that didn’t change the fact that a bomb going off and getting splattered in food, wasn’t her idea of a morning pick me up. 

Lewis shrugs, responding after giving a curt nod at Danny’s intact -it’s a miracle!- torso brace, “I’m not about to claim to know what they were using it for”, smirking mischievously ever so slightly, “might not have been for the food at all”.

Jazz pulls a face, quickly joined by Danny. While Maddie coughs, actively looking to brush away the -rather adult- implications of that statement, “well I certainly hope we have more experience with food exploding than your friend”. 

Danny makes an even more disgusted face, considering what Lewis’s friends ‘food’ largely was, Danny seriously hopes _that_ never explodes, “please tell me that has nothing to do with the questionable mess they needed help cleaning up yesterday”, smirking slightly and pointing around at the mess, “and no one _whips_ up food-based detonations like a Fenton”. 

Valerie rolls her eyes while taking a towel from Jazz and wiping off Danny’s hair some. Which makes Jack grin like an absolute fool. Something tells him those two are a thing again. Which is great! Danny-boy was definitely happier when they were together last time and clearly -watching her shake off the towel and her hands like it was just water from washing the dishes or something- she was completely cool with Fenton family oddness. Plus, watching her pat Danny’s tail after disposing of the towel, and the tip of said tail coiling around her wrist slightly; she was also cool with ghostly oddness. 

Lewis brushes off some ash from his pants before squinting slightly at Danny and shaking his head with a smile, “how’d you know about that?”. It was starting to seem like Danny just _knew_ things he arguably shouldn’t. At least with ghost stuff it made more sense though. 

Danny smirks a bit meanly, “I have my ways”, but relents after a beat and shrugs exaggeratedly, “Anne told me, though that doesn’t answer my question”, smirking again, “and I do tend to know things I logically shouldn’t”. 

Valerie groans and mutters, “tell me about it”. Making Danny snicker, which she whacks him lightly on the head for. 

Lewis raises an eyebrow at Danny but answers his question anyway, “there was no explosions involved in their little _mess_ yesterday. But there was some very unsafe knife handling involved”. Lewis would like to bring up Danny’s very much unsafe handling of knives as well, judging by the knife swallowing trick he had pulled with clearly frequently practiced ease. But Danny likely wouldn’t appreciate that around Maddie and Jack. 

Danny nods once and rubs his neck a bit awkwardly, somehow he’s sure this was more ‘someone was stabbed’ and less ‘cooking mishap’. Though Danny’d rather not think about how someone getting stabbed might actually qualify as a cooking mishap to those two. 

Jazz just shakes her head and gets up, efficiently getting the -over-used- clean up kit out and setting to work. Danny only watches her swirl syrup around on the floor for a beat before asking, “why aren’t you using the vacuum?”.

Lewis raises a very dubious eyebrow at him, “that’s not what vacuums are for, and why do you just make a habit of collecting information?”. 

Danny chuckles slightly before sending Lewis a very obvious ‘you damn well know why’ look, while also conveying that Lewis should ‘shut the fuck up’. Lewis rolls his eyes ever so slightly, easily conveying his own message that Danny is ‘too goddamn paranoid’. Which Danny rolls his eyes over right back before looking away and sticking his nose up in the air a little. The very juvenile response of ‘talk to the hand, ‘cause this face ain’t listening’ is a bit obvious. 

Jack, oblivious to the weird exchanging glances between Danny and Lewis, excitedly jumps up and booms, “our vacuum works on everything! Even ghosts and fridges!”, before deflating a little, “might tear your hair off though”. 

While Jazz sighs and actually gives Danny the answer he’s looking for, “dad broke it when he sucked up a natural portal. It inverted and got sucked inside itself then imploded”. Danny nods like this makes perfect sense. While Valerie just finds herself experiencing the usual levels of both awe and horror she feels whenever FentonWorks inventions get brought up. 

Lewis mutters, “that sounds physically impossible”, then looking to Maddie and Jack, because they’re the ‘experts’ so that’s what’s appropriate, “a natural portal? As in different from what’s in the basement?”. 

Danny beams a little, pretty well doing a slightly jarring one-eighty from his previous slightly annoyed demeanour, “so they showed you that _gravely_ big invention? The _deathly _key to _half_ our ghost focused prowess?”. Valerie just sighs, though it’s pretty close to a groan. So Danny counts it as a win. 

Maddie chuckles a little looking at Danny softly before looking to Dan and nodding, pushing herself off the edge of the counter and moving her hands a bit animatedly as she responds, “indeed. Back in our college years we weren’t sure natural portals truly were a real occurrence. They seemed more myth than truth-”. Jack jumps in, sticking a finger in the air, “because surely the Earth would be over run with ghosts if there was just portals to our world cropping up all over the place!”.

Maddie nods with a smile at Jack before looking back to Dan; who’s muttering about how ‘oh yeah, I remember them talking about that’. Maddie picking back up, “we’ve come across a total of three, so they’re very much real. Simply very uncommon”, nodding curtly before putting away the dishes and sweeping some of the destroyed pancakes into the trash, never noticing Danny’s eye-roll as she continues speaking, “combine that with them only staying open for a short period of time and that ghosts would actually have to find said portal to use it, it’s easy to see why ghosts haven’t been able to use them to take over”. 

Jack nods and smiles at everyone, “and they’re probably totally random! No way there’s something that could track those things!”. Lewis quirks an eyebrow at Danny snorting mockingly but covering it up with a cough. While Jack keeps speaking, “and! While ghosts certainly have some level of planning and intellect, with being able to plot their tricky schemes after all!, they’re certainly not intelligent enough to formulate a full attack plan to take advantage of the temperamental nature of natural portals! That’s why they like our stable constant man-made portal so much! Just another example of besting those ghosties!”. 

Lewis makes a point to frown only slightly at that, though both him and Danny are surprised and pleased that _Maddie_ cringes and frowns a bit herself. 

Maddie glances at Danny and bites her lip slightly. Meanwhile, Lewis firmly remembers Danny’s little shpeal on why ghosts generally don’t look to take over the living world. Course, not all of the reasons Danny gave can be repeated by him, especially verbatim. Partly because there’s no way a regular human doctor should know about the general workings of Obsessions and how ghosts think. And telling them that ghosts just view humans as lesser beings, wouldn’t make any human happy. Though Vee would absolutely agree. Lewis pipes up, “they have their own dimension, so I think it’s much more likely they’d simply have no desire for our dimension”, Lewis rolls his hand around and sits, taking a plate of -not destroyed- pancakes, “especially considering that the Ghost Zone caters to them, correct? For any being to try taking over someplace less suiting and even aggressive towards them for no true gain, would be beyond petty and would actively do themselves a disservice. It would be like a goose trying to take over polar bear dens”. 

Danny snorts and wheezes, “that is an extremely odd comparison”. 

Maddie mutters, “they don’t think like you or I. You can’t really apply human logic”. While Jack shakes his head a little, “they’re petty things but clearly there’s some kind of draw to our world. Our worlds definitely better! And I’d say they like the fighting, darn aggressive things”. 

Danny snorts, he’s not going to deny the fact that a lot of ghosts were pretty aggressive and definitely petty, but, “ever met a goose? Those things are _mean_”, glaring at the table and where he knows a very particular scar is on his right hand a little, “I’d cuddle a polar bear or sit in a box with the Box Ghost before I’d hang out with a goose”. Valerie makes a face at Danny, seriously wondering what geese have done to Danny to elicit that kind of hatred. Especially for someone who seemed so scared of ghosts to be willing to hang out with one. Even if it was just the Box Ghost. No way anyone could be afraid of that one.

Lewis smirks, “there’s a story there”. Danny genuinely debates elaborating but a knock on the door puts a nail in that train of thoughts coffin lid. 

Jazz talking over her shoulder as she heads to the door, “I’ll get it”. While Maddie sighs, “probably more salesmen”, before frowning, remembering the possible threat of the G.I.W. and promptly moving to block the doorways view of Danny. Lewis starts on his pancakes as Danny quirks an eyebrow at his moms' protective behaviour. Not that he didn’t appreciate it, but protecting was _his_ job and he doesn’t need to be protected. 

Jazz smiles at the two teens in front of her, pointing over her shoulder, “there’s still some intact pancakes if you dare”. 

Tucker grins wide and practically shoves his way past Jazz, “oh I totally dare!”. Waving at Danny as he grabs a plate and not really even caring if some of the pancakes he grabs are not entirely intact, “sup Danny dude. Just here quickly”, before giving a thumbs up to Maddie and stuffing his mouth. 

Sam shakes her head and sighs, leave it to Tucker to be utterly food-obsessed. Walking in and throwing a harsh glare at Valerie as she takes a seat on the opposite side of Danny and a -drastically smaller- plate, while tossing a stack of papers in front of Danny, “Lancer’s made us the homework delivery service”.

Danny groans loudly and quickly flips through the stack, though it’s very ungraceful due to the braces, “ugh. Can I just go back to being buried under twisted metal?”. Jazz just sighs and finishes up cleaning, though internally wincing a bit at her mom grimacing over Danny’s comment. Her dad clearly hadn’t really noticed, normally neither would her mom but she was paying more attention to Danny in lue of the injuries and believing they’d nearly lost him. Danny was used to them not noticing things, and now they were noticing. To a degree anyway. Realistically Danny should be more cautious not less, but obviously he’d gotten somewhat used to being slightly more open. She’s got a feeling Lewis is both to thank and to blame for that. Which only further assures her that the doctor is _extremely_ unusual. At least Danny had an adult he at least slightly trusted, she definitely had her worries that only receiving true support and acceptance from teens would harm his psyche. In fact, she knew it has already. Every adult that he felt should have supported him positively, hadn’t yet. Vlad, the other halfa that should have felt comradery and positive protectiveness towards the younger halfa. The only other like him, the only other who could truly understand what it was like. Instead became one of the worst people in her brothers' life. Even if Danny, always too good for his own good, never seemed to give up on the man. 

And then there was their parents, listening to them talk about torture and dissection just wasn’t healthy. There was no way around that, there just wasn’t. Yet it was her, not her brother, who held out hope they’d accept and love him. Maybe he had more hope in Vlad due to species, due to that comradery that Danny definitely did have. But he was ‘the bad guy’, their parents were just...uniformed and bigoted. But she also knows that Danny, at least on some level, wanted them to change their views _without_ them knowing he was a ghost himself. Without them changing their opinions because ‘there’s no way our boy could be evil, so ghosts must not be all bad’. And she gets that, their change in belief would be less genuine if they changed their minds on ghosts just because their boy was one. He would always wonder if they truly changed or if it was only him they saw differently. If they just refused to let themselves believe something purely because it meant thinking bad of their son. If they’d still be fine viewing other ghosts negatively, even if they never voiced it. If they’d still _hurt _other ghosts, without care or worry. So because of this, because she knows that’s how Danny thinks, she’s okay him hiding, keeping his secret. Until the day they change. Until they get better, be better. Until he is satisfied, both in his willingness to trust them again and in his protective feelings toward one half of his species. Sending a slight smile to Lewis, when the doctor just chuckles slightly over Danny’s comment. Maybe Lewis _was _just the thing her family needed. 

Meanwhile, Valerie rises to the occasion and proceeds to engage Sam in a glaring match. If the goth wants to be overprotective and petty, fine, two can play that game. Wasn’t like being annoyed with Danny’s friends was all that hard, she was still a bit peeved they’d known about her ghost hunting and just_ didn’t tell her_. Not to mention they weren’t even slightly intimidated, she was a damn good fighter and the whole damn town knew it. They knew she was constantly armed and could summon weapons in seconds, yet they weren’t even slightly deterred from getting in her face and threatening everything under the sun. At least Danny not caring made sense, his parents were ghost hunters for peets sake! But to also get that from the two teens was a bit infuriating, and fine, it bruised her ego just a little bit. 

Tucker snickers and side-eyes Danny, “you’re sandwiched between to dangerous ladies. I’m not sure if I should be jealous or plan your funeral”.

Danny snorts and points at him, “the universe already owes me a funeral or two”. Tucker snorts right back and mutters around a mouth full, “ore lug undered”. 

Lewis tilts his head, “you know, my one friend did actually have two funerals”, waving his hand slightly dismissively at Maddie and Jack, “but don’t worry, they’re still alive”. 

Valerie breaks the staring match -making Sam grin overly smugly- to point at Danny, “I wouldn’t put it past you to have a mock funeral”.

Tucker snickers and pats Danny’s arm brace, “maybe you should, see if Dash really follows through on that threat to punch your corpse in the face if you dare die”. 

Danny coughs, “_did he really_?”, while both Jack and Maddie make slightly concerned faces. They had gut feelings Danny got bullied, was this ‘Dash’ involved in that? They want to ask but they’d rather not upset their boy. It can wait, especially since he can’t go back yet.

Tucker nods almost aggressively. Making Danny smirk and point at him, “he should be glad ‘bout this, seeing as I’ve got more of an excuse for letting him push me around now, considering I can’t _stand up_ for myself”. Nearly everyone glares at him. For multiple different reasons. 

Lewis finds it a bit ridiculous that this freakishly powerful kid lets himself get bullied. But if he had to guess, it was to protect the kids who weren’t used to getting injured. Deciding to speak up and bring the conversation away from bullying, “oh it was no mock funeral, everyone, apparently, thought he really was dead. At one of the funerals even _he_ thought he was dead for a while”, Lewis shrugs while everyone stares at him a bit incredulously, “I’m told he was _incredibly_ drunk and had been so for a few days”. 

Jack mutters about how that sounds like a few college classmates, while Tucker blurts out, “_a few days_? As in, entire days and nights?”. Valerie just shakes her head. 

Jazz puts her hands on her hips, “this friend is in therapy right? They better be”. Just like Danny honestly should be. She knew her stuff, but she wasn’t a professional. And no one who does anything close to anything that could qualify as ‘superhero work’ shouldn’t have a trained therapist. Or anyone who drinks _that much_, for that matter. 

Lewis mutters, “I’m not sure that would be good for the therapists' health. Besides, what would he even tell them?”, before shaking his head slightly and looking to Jazz, “the last time someone recommend he go to a therapist he attempted to eat the business card, choked on it, and wound up with blood running down his chin from a paper cut. While his other screamed about how his brain was ‘in perfect working order and no other flesh bag is touching it!’. The conversation ended with my friend passing out and nearly drowning in a cup of takeout stir fry”. Lewis taps his chin while Danny curls up as much as he can with the braces on and wheezes. Lewis picking back up, “the last time my wife recommend it, he wound up crying on the floor surrounded by empty ice cream containers, I think. Less eventful, but definitely more depressing”. 

Valerie gapes a little, “sweet Zone, your friend has some serious problems”. She hadn’t been that bad even on her worst days after her family lost everything due to those damn ghosts. 

Jazz squints at Lewis, “get him in therapy”, before heading up to her room to study. 

Maddie watches her go for a beat before looking to Lewis, “I agree with her honestly. Jazz can be a little overzealous about people attending therapy, but your friend sounds like they really need that”. 

Lewis shrugs, “I’m pretty much his therapist at this point”. He’d like to say that Eddie talking to someone who’s actually normal -Lewis knows damn well he does not qualify as normal- would do him some good. But he really can’t afford to, patient-doctor confidentiality only goes so far; and very firmly ends when someone’s life is at risk. And putting other people’s lives at serious and immediate risk, was quite literally Eddie’s number one past time and Vee’s preferred more or less needed lifeblood. 

Danny snorts at that, that must be a nightmare but also insanely curious how that kind of conversation would go. There was an alien involved after all! What even qualifies as ‘mentally healthy’ for a Symbiote? Is that even something they care about? Can they even have mental issues? Danny points at Lewis, “I’d say ‘you poor unfortunate soul’ but I’d love to pick their brain”. Lewis only gets the chance to smirk as there’s another knock on the door. 

Tucker hopping up and quirking an eyebrow, speaking as he swallows his food, “what? did we forget something?”. Only to open the door to a disheveled looking man in a wrinkled suit and a tie that barely qualifies as tied; he looks like he’s slept less than Danny does on a bad week, which is saying something. 

The dude sticks his head in through the open door directly above Tucker’s head and grins almost manically at Danny, “ah! The man of the hour or week or month, however long it’s been. I don’t know, I’m not paid to know. Hello!”. 

Tucker steps back, having practically had the guys chest shoved into his face, “_dude_, boundaries, and you smell like cat piss”. 

“Eh flower pot water leaked on me from some guy’s balcony”, the guy tilts his head, “at least I think and honestly hope that’s what it was. Hard to say really”, before shrugging and just walking in. Waving at Danny, “hello! again! Name’s Remfell! I’m with the Colours Wheelchairs company under De La Vega. The HXC design would be great for this town! You could wheel away from all the ghosts and attacking flower pots while doing sick flips!”, Remfell motions with his hands wildly and made jazz hands at one point, before just sitting down at the table, nearly knocking Lewis over. Lewis wisely chooses to lean against a wall, giving the table and thusly Remfell a wide berth. Tucker just elects to leave the table and sit with his pancake plate on the countertop.

Danny commenting with a smirk, “well it certainly looks like the_ R.E.M_ stage of sleep _fell _past you”. Of course, Danny’s being a bit of a hypocrite here, he honestly can count the number of times he’s likely entered that stage of sleep on his hands. And at least a third of those times result in him having some seriously not pleasant nightmares. Not sleeping at all was better than that. 

While Remfell goes comically wide-eyed at the food, shoving some -definitely burnt- pancakes in his mouth and waves at Maddie, “sorry, haven’t eaten in a _while_, you make great food though!”, looking back to Danny -who’s eyebrows are starting to get lost in his hair, who thinks burnt food tastes ‘good’???- Remfell basically starts word vomiting, “see the HXC isn’t your normal extreme wheelchair! Oh no! It’s hardcore extreme! It’s got multi-link suspension and dual coil-over shocks! And if you need to just ditch it, the seat is completely unrestricted, so you could throw it across the road to distract whatever in this town is trying to kill you because that really seems like something that happens here a lot”. Danny is gaping open-mouthed and rather gleefully at Remfell while Tucker’s curled over the sink tap wheezing. Maddie and Valerie look like they’re warring between being offended for Danny’s sake or wondering if they’re high right now. 

Meanwhile, Remfell mistakes everyone’s silence as interest in his companies product and whips out a brochure and starts pointing at the different designs, “it’s also sleek and BMX-like in design. Plus, it’s light, meaning if someone has an issue with wheelchair users you could logically just hit them with it! And these handles here you can hold on to, so even if you get tossed violently through the air you won’t fall out! We also offer both rear and front crash guards. We tested them out against head-on collisions with cars! They did not break”, Remfell nods curtly like his case is rock solid and he’s sure he just got a customer. 

Danny wheezes into the tabletop, only avoiding face-planting into his plate, with little bits of remaining pancakes, due to Valerie moving it out of the way. Danny lifts up his head, places his chin in his right hands palm and grins, “dude, how much coffee have you had?”. 

Remfell shrugs and keeps on smiling, “I lost count”. While Lewis smirks, pushes off the wall, and leans over Danny’s shoulder, “you know, Danny, legally you are allowed credit towards a wheelchair. Courtesy of the hospital, or the government if you want to get technical”, Lewis has a feeling that Danny’s exactly the kind of person who absolutely will buy something purely because the person selling it seems slightly unhinged. 

Sam looks at Danny’s slightly goofy grin and sighs before looking to Tucker, who’s wiping tears from his eyes. Sam shaking her head at him, “you utter fool, but also we need to get going”.

Tucker shakes his head with a laugh, “no way! I never get free lunch entertainment!”. Valerie rolls her eyes, _hard_, at him, “that’s because you usually _are it_”. 

Remfell speaks up again, deciding to make this offer as enticing as possible. Kids still like sports these days right? “Aaron Fotheringham helped with the HXC’s design. Quite a famous wheelchair athlete! Hardcore sitting’s the sport!”. 

Danny snorts while Maddie raises an eyebrow, “hardcore sitting?”. Remfell nods, motioning his hands around wildly again, “it’s like skateboarding, the intense kind you see at skateparks and at competitions”. 

Danny thinks that sounded suitably dangerous, deciding to be a bit of an ass but also encourage the absurdity, “parkour suitable?”. Let it never be said that Danny wasn't a bit of a chaotic little shit. Even if his ghostly side definitely played a role in that.

Remfell nods slightly, “would certainly do better than most. And if you fell, the suspension would make the impact with the ground suck less!”. Listen, okay, Remfell has already seen kids running across rooftops and playing pass with something that honestly looked explosive. So he’s not about to claim he knows what qualifies as ‘safe extracurricular activities’ in this fever dream of a town. 

Tucker snorts and mutters at Danny, “so you’d probably still die, just be a little less dead. Or have a better-looking corpse”. 

Danny smirks at him, “‘less dead’, perish the thought”, tapping his chin, “though I can appreciate keeping up the visual integrity of my body”.

Remfell seems to think now is a good time to add in his two cents, "well with only half of it, you have to be twice as invested!", smacking the brochure, "and this is a fantastic investment, if I do say so myself". 

Danny goes wide-eyed, did this guy just pun at him?, while both his parents cringe. Danny’s pointing at Remfell but looking to his parents, "I don’t need it but I’m sold on this dude”. Lewis chuckles, was this an approved wheelchair or company? Hell no. But his superiors don’t question him and Remfell had made a fair argument considering Amity seems just the far side of dangerous. 

Remfell just grins, looking more than a little out of it, while Danny and his folks go about filling out the forms. Jack and Maddie more than willing to make up whatever the hospital/the government won’t cover to please their son; plus they weren’t exactly short on cash. Remfell will absolutely be staring at the paperwork later just to prove to himself that the town, that’s buildings _changed colour_, wasn’t actually some wild hallucination.

Valerie just shakes her head as she gives Danny a quick peck on the head and heads out to door to school with Sam and Tucker. Both of them immediately bugging her about skipping half a day of school. 

“I wasn’t going to just _not be here_ when he woke up”.

“You mean he actually _slept_, like, _for a long time_?”.

“What’d you guys get up to, eh eh, come on give a guy details!”.

Danny smirks over what sounds like two rather loud slaps. 

* * *

Half an hour later finds Danny sitting in his little hover cushion and hovering in front of the couch, snickering at the passed out Remfell, while Lewis comes up the stairs from the lab and asks, “question, how thick were your thighs? More defined muscle or the squint and you’ll glimpse it kind?”.

Danny snorts, “why would I know that? You’re the one who had them last, and I don’t measure my limbs. But...”, Danny flexes his arms exaggeratedly, though it looks pretty silly with the braces. 

Lewis tilts his head and nods, probably looking more serious than this situation calls for. Before just straight up taking off the braces, which Danny shakes his head over; obviously amused. Lewis steps back and ignores Danny looking a little shy now. Danny wasn’t lacking muscle wise, more like a battle-hardened stray cat than a dogfight winning unethically bred Pitbull. Leaning towards more defined, but not what anyone would call ripped. Kinda like Eddie actually. Earlier he had been more drawn to the scars and how Danny looked like he’d jumped into a blender feet first while being crushed by an anaconda. But he definitely had the physique of someone who spent their days throwing fists but also clearly not really eating enough. Grunting, “you need a better diet. At least Eddie and Vee generally eat well...okay, at least they eat enough”. 

Danny screws up his face at that, “considering what their diet consists of, I’ll pass”. Lewis glares at him so Danny rolls his eyes, “I know my diet sucks and is often ignored, doc. Considering Sam and Tuck’s favourite argument is all about diets. Half the reason I eat at all, is them just always having food”. 

Lewis shakes his head but puts back on Danny’s braces. Danny electing to hover down the lab with the doctor, though throwing a smirk at the unconscious salesman over his shoulder. 

Maddie and Jack look to each other a bit awkwardly while Danny looks around the lab and chuckles. There was bits of metal, legs, wiring, and explosion burn marks _everywhere_. “You guys have been busy huh?”.

Jack nods and smiles, if Danny wasn’t going to make this weird then Jack wasn’t going to either, “well the CyberSteps certainly have been top priority Danny-boy!”. While Lewis walks over and descends into talking medical jargon and musculature structure at Jack. 

Maddie walks up to Danny and puts a hand on his arm, “the salesman still on the couch?”. Danny nods with a chuckle, so Maddie shakes her head. She’s both surprised and not, that Danny seems unbothered by the...leg...parts strewn everywhere. He’s a strong kid, even if at the very next second he could be skittish, withdrawn, and shy. It really didn’t make a lot of sense. Watching his tail flick out of the hover cushion and him not paying It any mind. Again, he’s just so _okay _with something explicitly ghostly being attached to him. When she knows for a fact he would feel deeply uncomfortable if he had a Spector Deflector around his waist instead; and that wouldn’t affect his ability to...walk. Sure his tail was part of his body, helped his mobility technically, but things like their Spector Deflectors did nothing but protect. So why? Though she does get why he’s not scared of the ghostly tail, when he is rather scared of ghosts in general. She’s also glad he’s not. Being scared of your own body can’t be healthy. 

Danny raises an eyebrow at her so she smiles at him and nods her head to the two adult males, deciding to voice the thought that won’t probably bother Danny, “you seem to get along well with Dan”.

Danny makes a damn point not to cringe, though his tail clearly isn’t so skilled in not making his feelings noticeable, considering how It starts vibrating a bit harshly. Danny shrugs and rubs at his neck, “he’s pretty chill, handles Amity levels of weird like a champ. So I’ve had pretty good company”. 

Maddie smiles and giggles a little bit, “can’t say I’m surprised. He’s always been a bit more than unusual. Sounds like he’s made a few friends that are too”. Danny snorts at that. 

Lewis stands up and stretches after a bit and checks his watch, patting Jack on the back, “seems I’ve got responsibilities to tend to now”. Jack gives him goofy thumbs-up before Lewis turns around and pats Danny on his ‘good’ shoulder before he goes to head up the stairs, “I’ll be back pretty late, with my stuff of course. Try not to have anything that can even qualify as attached to you blow up”. Lewis would really like to keep this whole ‘Danny managing to NOT destroy his bandaging and/or braces’ thing on a roll. 

Danny chuckles but bites his tongue on a joke about how he’ll make sure to get stabbed instead, choosing to just awkwardly nod and rub at his neck. Earning a slight raised eyebrow from Lewis as he heads up and leaves the lab. 

Lewis fills up a cup of coffee, quickly nuking it while staring at the passed out Remfell. Tilting his head slightly as the guys tie seemingly just gives up and finally falls off. Part of Lewis is incredibly curious just what happened to this guy, or if he’s just a general trash-fire of a person normally. Lewis sighs as he takes the cup out of the microwave and stares towards the living room window. Watching some kid across the street scaling a building and a car getting blown through the air and sideways across the road. Shaking his head, this crap was exactly why hospitals that dealt with Amity Parker’s were lax and weird. At least he had a better picture as to why now. Positives Lewis, positives. 

Walking to stand in front of and stare down at Remfell, sipping from the -probably too hot- cup all the while. Before shrugging and just taking the guys tie off the floor. Something tells him Remfell won’t even notice the missing tie and this will give him an interesting story to tell Anne. Plus, purple went well with his blue dress-shirt. Might distract from the burns on it too. He definitely understands more so why Jack and Maddie stick to the, much _much _harder to damage, jumpsuits.

Expertly tying the tie as he gets in his car, pointedly ignoring a car full of twenty-somethings drifting sideways across the road while laughing. Shaking his head and muttering, _“this town_”, as he drives off. Amity was definitely the most interesting driving experience he’s ever had. And it seems like most the people here have a seriously damaged, or just straight up non-existent, sense of self-preservation. 

* * *

Danny jerkily hovers back a bit when Jack rushes over holding up a pair of CyberSteps and nearly shoves them at him. Maddie just smiles sweetly while getting Jack to set them to stand on the ground carefully. It was probably a good thing Danny was so okay, considering Jack’s excitability. 

Maddie holds the hover cushion under her arm while Danny only kind of smoothly uses his tail to float himself into the CyberSteps for the second time. Though it’s clear he’s being a bit more cautious about it this time. Danny mumbling seemingly to himself, “well it’s definitely a little less snug than last time”. Making Maddie a bit curious how this felt on the tail. While Danny goes about activating the neuroreceptors and everyone waits with baited breaths. 

Everyone, even Danny, jerking from his eyes practically becoming green flashlights, bathing the lab in a rather eerie green glow. 

Danny doesn’t even take the time to deactivate the neuroreceptors before yanking himself out of the CyberSteps, feeling his ectoplasm practically thrashing around in his veins. Completely tearing the neuroreceptor strip off the CyberSteps in the process, while Maddie waves away Danny’s extremely excessive shedding off ectoplasm. It was so thick, it might as well actually be smoke this time. Then having to catch Danny under the armpits as his tail thrashes around rather violently, making his floating more than a little erratic; which results in him nearly crashing into her. Looking him over, he’s also _twitching_. Very noticeably too. It was almost like hundreds of ants were skittering around under his skin. Floating was definitely _not _something he should be doing with his tail and body acting up like this. 

Danny grunting and stammering, “s-sorry bout t-the s-shedding”. While Jack makes quick time of manoeuvring around Danny and Maddie to get the neuroreceptor strip off; simply tossing it to the side rather than inspecting it. Checking on Danny was far more important. He’ll think on Danny’s unusual show of strength later (he literally tore metal apart like it was nothing! Maybe Danny-boy was expressing some of his Fenton genes after all!).

Maddie ruffles his hair as she slides him into the hover cushion that she had dropped onto the last stair-step, “no worries sweetie. It’s not your fault”. 

Jack rubbing his own neck and glancing at the -now damaged- CyberSteps, “guess that was more of a step backwards than forwards”. 

Danny gives a very jerky nod and is clearly failing at getting himself comfortable. As he keeps using his arms to lift himself up and move around. And this time his tail looks longer, though it’s kind of hard to tell with how It’s zig-zagging and coiling all over Itself.

Jack basically pushing aside the CyberSteps as he shares a Look with his wife, while Danny’s looking down at his tail seeming more annoyed or bothered by It than he has in the whole time he’s had It. Watching him grab at his tail just below his waist and actually _hiss _at It. Both deciding it’s probably best to not have clearly acting up ectoplasmic energy in the lab, around lots of things that it could react to or possibly be hurt by; and that Danny should absolutely rest off whatever’s going on. 

Jack electing to just scoop Danny up, though pointedly being very careful and gentle about it. Danny still yelps though, while Maddie picks up the hover cushion and they all head up the stairs. 

Jack has to focus more on making sure he doesn’t drop his son than he’s really okay with, since Danny keeps squirming and seemingly trying to lift himself out of Jack’s grasp; his tail thrashing around doesn’t help either. Danny clearly feels bad about that, “s-sorry, don’t th-think I really c-can sit still. Feel kinda like I'm gonna v-vibrate out of my sk-sk-skin”. 

Maddie pats his head and hides her worry, it was awful that the only way to test the CyberSteps was for him to actually test them himself. “You look like you’re trying to sweetie. You’ll probably just have to tolerate the tail moving around to expend the excess energy”.

Danny thinks that’s rather obvious, as his dad lays him to sit down in bed, his mom putting the hover cushion in the corner. Danny’s just thanking all the Ancients that his Core isn’t overproducing this time, as they sit on the bed with him. It’s a darn good thing all the furniture in the house is built or modified to tolerate his dad’s weight; even if the bed still noticeably creaks. While Danny’s trying his damnedest to not be too twitchy; tail’s kind of a lost cause in that regard though. He’s almost tempted to feel offended when It nearly smacks him in the face. He does give it a bit of a mutinous look though, before looking down at the rest of himself, well at least he didn’t ruin Lewis’s work again...yet anyways. He’s also tempted to and verging on feeling rather embarrassed over his mom rubbing his back. He knows it’s supposed to be comforting, but it feels oddly degrading. Which the more ghostly side of him, mainly his pride, is not taking too kindly to. Making it even harder to keep his fangs from popping out, which would _not _be good for his folks to see. Plus, it’s making his face hurt something fierce. 

Maddie and Jack aren’t really sure what to do with this. The only thing they’re really familiar with doing regarding anything ghostly -but especially the acting up kind of ghostly- was attack first and ask questions of the ectoplasmic goop. Though they’re both sure Danny’d rather them studiously ignore how he’s squirming and moving around so much; his discomfort was more than a little obvious. But they also don’t want to leave him alone. Who knows how else his body or ectoplasm might act up. Maddie glances around quickly, making a point to mentally jot down to remind Danny to clean up his room. Jack speaking up to fill the growing awkward silence, “sooooo, Jazzypants mentioned you’ve messed with those stupid G.I.W. agents before”, nudging Danny very gently, which is a bit of a feat for the large man. Speaking with palpable mirth, “how’d you mess with ‘em?”.

Danny jerks dramatically and excessively, seriously wishing a certain _someone_ had the basic decency to tell him what they told their parents. While Maddie nods and smiles down at Danny slightly, “yeah, that’s really the only reason your father didn’t run them off a bridge or worse”.

Jack glares at the air, “oh it would have been _worse_ than just worse”. He may have once liked those men, anyone fighting the ectoplasmic evils of the world was amazing in his book! but nobody gets to mess with his family. 

Danny chuckles, firmly hoping they ignore the scratchy sounding echo. If he didn’t watch it, he’d start slipping into GhostSpeak, “long st-st-story”.

“We’ve got the time”. That was a lie and both of them knew that, but watching Danny for health problems was more important than the CyberSteps right now. 

Danny looks between his parents, there really was no way to explain how he undid the G.I.W. finding out he was a halfa and chasing him all over America in the OPS centre turned jet, while repeatedly nearly murdering him and his friends. Though he does kinda wanna brag about the whole PILOTING A FREAKING SPACESHIP thing. Oh yeah, can’t forget the psychotic goth clown who took over reality, abducted all his family and friends for his murder rollercoaster, turned him into freaking _jello_, and was taken down via one very mocking therapy session. Well okay, it was more like taking advantage of the guys messed up mental state, but whatever. And then there’s the little fact that he, Danny fucking Phantom, had control over reality and just...used it to dick with the G.I.W.. And fix clown planet of course. See that, all of that, not a lick of that shit he can tell them. Because it’s all one big absurdist bullshit nightmare fuel of a carnival show. And that’s without even explaining why the G.I.W. wanted him dead with a side of lots of very _very_ painful experiments. Or why Freakdeaky had a hate boner for him. Ancients, it’s not just a long story. It’s three months, an entire summer, of a story. Also technically never happened, so there’s that too. Right right, if he really wants to get technical, he literally convince crazy bag of batshit to turn himself into a ghost, you know, _kill himself_. And then Danny just, made him human again. Just straight up reversed death. Unkilled someone. That’s kinda funny actually. 

Danny screws up his face and his tail thrashes around slightly more excessively, well he’s got to say _something_. Wait a second here, right, he has fucked with those white suit twats more than once. But somehow he doubts accidentally making them attack some random teen, blowing up a bomb in their faces, or mauling them with a tiger; will make his folks happy. Though maybe this is a chance to take an ever so slight risk in being honest for a change. Well...giving the truth after running it through a strainer to avoid that flat-out absurd or revealing stuff. Sighing and rubbing his neck rather jerkily, but making sure to make it seem a bit embarrassed, “well wh-what did Jazz t-tell you?”, explaining furthering so it doesn’t seem so suspicious, “s-so I know what I d-don’t need to co-cover”. 

Maddie nods, assuming Danny wants to know because his mouth is clearly not cooperating very well right now, “she didn’t really give us much detail, just that you lead them on a wild goose chase and convinced them that there was nothing ghostly about you”. 

Jack beams and throws one arm up, “which is impressive!”. Sure it wasn’t as impressive as managing to fool or trick a Fenton -since clearly Fenton’s were more keen than the G.I.W., considering how a full group of those men couldn't figure out the wonderful Fenton lab- but still!

Danny nods sharply once, so she _was _talking about the FreakShow incident. Now it might be the extreme excess of ectoplasm in him or how jittery that’s making him, but he just decides fuck it and gives the least damning summery he can think of, “w-weird clown freak who has a deep se-seeded hatred for me basically ou-ousted me being a bit extra ecto t-to them”, Danny jerks his arms around a bit, “so logically, ri-right, they go full psycho mode an-and chasing me all over the place. Sc-Sc-Screamin’ ‘bout dissection this an-and experimentation that. But I k-kept hiding where they couldn’t f-find me and making them acci-accidentally capture regular a-ass humans”, chuckling with a harsh echo before continuing, “p-pretty sure I broke a ton of their shit too. Eventually...relieved...crazy clown dude of th-this tech thingy and wi-wiped myself from G.I.W. files and u-used the tech thingy to wipe their m-minds”, Danny can’t help snickering a little meanly here, because fuck those white suit pricks, “hardwired the lot of ‘em s-so they will ne-never think I’m all ecto again. Well, un-unless they get some s-serious hard evidence. Probably. Maybe”, shrugging exaggeratedly, “so-so yeah, that’s the time I functionally brainwashed an en-entire government s-sector and put a massive dent in their f-finances”. 

Maddie tries not to feel a little unnerved at her boy clearly deriving some pleasure from tormenting, and his behaviour is more than a little twitchy still. Plus the echo to his voice didn’t make it less creepy. Something tells her it’s messing with his head a little too, so maybe dragging stories out of him isn’t the greatest idea right now; but she’s still curious. Maddie pats his head a couple times before ruffling up his hair, “it’s certainly good that they won’t really be coming after you now, but what happened to this technology you used?”.

Danny shrugs likes it’s no big deal, “blew it up”, then grabbing at his tail and yanking It against his chest. Trying to calm It down even a little bit, after It’s wild thrashing nearly smashed one of his model rockets. He spent a lot of time on that, thank you very much. Grumbling rather incoherently -and probably not in english- at his tail while his dad laughs lightly and pats him on the back, “well, I say you show them son! They’re way too extreme and strict!”.

Maddie nods, absently patting Danny’s head, “even if their hearts are in the right places”. Those men coming after her boy pretty much ensured that the Fenton’s would never cooperate with them ever again. Or at least not easily or all that willingly. It was sad really. Ghost hunters were few and far between, they should stick together. 

Danny can’t restrain his jerk at that but does manage to restrain a snarl, promptly shaking his head and speaking when he probably shouldn’t and gnashing his teeth a little loudly, “I do not like them. They are cruel and their heads are shoved too far down the hole of stupidity to ever see they’re wrong. About anything”, Danny snorts then, covering up his smirk with his arms and part of his tail. Mumbling, “but they're digging a grave. The burial plot to be sealed off when everyone stops thinking wrong”. 

Maddie sends Jack a slightly concerned look before leaning her head down to be closer to eye level with Danny. Though it’s hard to maintain eye contact with how bright his eyes are, “what do you mean sweetie?”. She definitely can’t and won’t blame him for disliking the G.I.W., even hating them, especially right now. But this seems like more than that. 

Danny flicks his gaze to her quickly before staring forward again, “‘I think, therefore I am’. Pretty sure I read that somewhere. I am, therefore I bleed, I bleed, therefore I have blood to give. I have blood to give, therefore I can know pain. I exist, I am real. And so I feel, I care, I hurt. And ghosts exist, so they’re the same”, Danny nods curtly more so to himself. 

Jack’s more than a little confused, of course Danny-boy exists! Maddie seems to get it better than he does though. “Just because something exists doesn’t mean It feels. Rocks exist?”. Normally she’d brush this off as teenage idealism, but she doesn’t want to shoot down Danny’s slightly rose tinted outlook when he’s still recovering. He deserves any and all positivity he can get right now, even if it’s a little misplaced. Plus, he’s stuck being part way ghostly, it’s...it’s probably for the best. Plus he was a bit impaired, and impaired people tended to be a bit more honest. 

Danny shakes his head, it wasn’t the same, “rocks are in existence. Are here. But don’t really exist as something of their own self”, Danny snaps a finger, speaking bit more animatedly, “criteria of life!”, Danny snorts and laughs a little, “irony! Dead meet the criteria of life. A rock does not”. 

Both parents blink at him, Jack scratching his head, “no?”. While Maddie says a bit incredulously, but not unkindly, “death and life are opposites. Though ghosts do meet some of the criteria”. Maddie can’t help thinking back to her early years in the ectobiology field, debating what qualifies as ‘life’ was a pretty heavy focus back then. The fact that Danny’s clearly thought about this himself makes her feel a little warm and fuzzy inside. 

Danny shakes his head almost aggressively, “dead’s really just another state of living. Unlife is still life. Word’s even there. And they do, they met them”.

Maddie leans back and taps her chin, “I’ll give you that they respond to environmental changes, have ectoplasmic cells, and regulate their homeostasis. But other than that?”, shaking her head, “what else is there that they fit?”. Maddie’s genuinely curious what he’ll say. Even Jack looks to being paying rapt attention, though clearly clamping down on his excitableness regarding ghosts to avoid being overbearing. Jack chuckles, “it’s not like it’s possible for them to have kids and they never do change”. Jack hums and looks to his wife, “Lewis does have a point on complexity though. So I guess the ghosties, with their ectoplasm, meet that one too”. Maddie blinks and nods, maybe they should actually revisit this. 

Danny shivers and make a disgusted face, promptly cutting of his parents trains of thought by muttering, “The Box Ghost having a kid is still so ew”. 

Both parents gape at him for a beat before both blurt out, “_WHAT????_”. Both seriously wondering how that’s possible -it really _really_ shouldn’t be- and _how Danny even knows that_???

Danny snorts, “I know right? Not sure if it’s better or worse that he hooked up with that LunchLady ghost”, Danny chuckles but stares at his tail, “ghosts are horrible gossips. Amazing what you can learn when you just _listen_”. Danny starts squirming a bit more than he already had been, and his ears attempt at swivelling downward (Danny would be thanking all the Ancients they currently can’t, if he had noticed anyway), feeling a little uncomfortable when they just keep staring at him. So, like a dumbass, he just keeps on talking, “everything changes. Some are just slow about it. Did Mr. Longwinded always have a cape and a mullet? Did Boxy always control bubble wrap? Did Phantom always have pointy ears?”, Danny shrugs and pats at his tail, It stilling for not even a second before thrashing around again, “this is ghost. Nothing but change. You just see the changes you want to see because you don’t want to not see them with me”. Danny tilts his head, chuckling to himself a little. He sounded kinda like ClockWork. Which, of course, means he is definitely being a bit too genuinely himself. Ghosts weren’t things of change but they did change, in their own way. Growing in power, expanding Obsession coverage, modifying their bodies, maturing Cores. So much _change_ for a species that had little use for _money_. 

Both parents blink at him, Maddie’s opening and closing her mouth a few times. On one hand she wants to disagree, to argue and point out how that’s wrong and how Danny’s human body, human mind, make it so much different. But he was a little out of it and Lewis’s words are ringing in her ears a little. Maybe, maybe, she can concede ghosts seem to change. But reproduction? She’s still firmly stuck wondering how in any definition of any word is that possible? New ghosts existed because their living counterpart had unfortunately died and they had the misfortune to be cursed with becoming ectoplasmic. With their post-human consciousness taking on a new unfortunate existence, instead of resting. Sure there might possibly be ‘needed’ or ‘created’ ghosts. Maybe. That was research for another day. But surely- Her thought process getting cut off by a loud explosion sounding from the lab. 

Jack instantly springing up but spinning around to look at Maddie, “certainly if something more or bad was going to happen with Danny-boy, it would have by now?”. Is Jack grabbing at a distraction from the multitude of questions his boy’s bringing to the front of his mind? Yes, yes he is. 

Maddie sighs and nods but cups Danny’s face to make him look at her, his eyes were glowing drastically less, it was still more than enough to bathe both their faces in green light though. Trying to ignore the weirdness of -and resisting the ingrained anti-ghost instinct to jerk away, which she is definitely going have to work on- Danny’s tails wrapping around her wrist slightly. “You’ll let us know if _anything_ happens or changes with you, right?”. 

Danny chuckles and rubs his neck jerkily, “uh, yeah?”, looking to Jack and giving a bit of a lopsided smirk, “here’s hoping there's a limit to how many times ‘break a leg’ can become literal”. 

Jack chuckles and gives his son a goofy thumbs up. While Maddie shakes her head and gets up, quickly pecking a kiss on Danny’s head before heading down to the lab with Jack. Him being a bit out of it made the rather dark humourless weird and dark. 

* * *

Lewis balls up his bloodied gloves with a level of satisfaction. He’s not really surprised no one's saying that they’ll ‘miss him’ or to ‘not work too hard’ or to ‘enjoy the impromptu sorta vacation’. If anything, they probably viewed this as a vacation _from him_. Expected really.

Stretching and bending his fingers around a bit, digging around people’s insides could be a real workout on the fingers. Only for his phone to go off, quirking an eyebrow over seeing Anne’s name pop up. “Anne? There’s not an emergency is there?”. 

“Just how injured is that patient of yours? I know you said he wasn’t, but I somehow doubt that. Because he is definitely more injured now. I’m certain tearing out three light posts with his back isn’t healthy”. 

Lewis sighs, somehow he’s really not surprised, but Danny not abusing his body was fun while it lasted. “Outside of him intentionally not letting his legs regrow, he is, was, in perfect health”, chuckling a little because if a not kinda dead person had the level of bodily function Danny did, they would be critically unhealthy and rapidly approaching death in a _fun_ and _interesting_ multitude of ways, “for him anyway”. Sighing again, “does he look hurt?”.

Anne laughs ever so faintly, “hard to say. The severe blur that glow of his causes on tv makes it more than a bit difficult to tell. He’s picked some fight, in broad daylight I’ll add, with what looks to be a dragon”. Lewis waits, hearing the faint tapping sounds signifying she’s either sending a text or looking something up. Anne picking back up after a couple seconds, “I can’t say I’m surprised the world at large seems to think Amity is something of a conspiracy theory. Anyway, I sent you the link to the news feed. It’s _live_”.

Lewis smiles, so thoughtful. Anne always had a plan, always knew what to do and what she wanted; and what others wanted. It was her job after all. Just like his was dealing with the injured and/or dying. Usually it was the latter. Excluding slower days of course. Electing to keep Anne on the line -she won’t mind, she never minds- as he opens up the link. Instantly shaking his head as not even two seconds into him tuning in, Phantom gets _impaled _by a chunk of rubble and _set on fire_ by the dragon. Absently, Lewis wonders if this is the very same dragon that Sam was nearly forced to wed, logically said dragon might be a little miffed if Danny broke up that particular arrangement. And something tells him, watching Phantom just full-frontal take another jet of flames without so much as making a shield or something, Danny forgets his own powers even more often than he’s implied he does. 

Sighing again, “well, at least he has the decency to inform people when he gets hurt, while he’s getting hurt”, Lewis shrugs, “even if it’s just a pleasant side-effect of being a public figure”. Plus, Lewis can’t see the bandaging or braces on Phantom, so however he magiced away foreign matter -seriously how does that work?- maybe that will protect, and thusly not ruin, Lewis’s work. Positives. 

Anne cuts to the heart of the matter, “unlike some people we know. Eddie can be a bit avoidant about that, can’t he?”.

Lewis shakes his head, the sheer amount of times those two have sprung, a.k.a confessed, getting severely and horrifically injured after the fact and -usually while drunk- at random was enough to very effectively give him a headache, “part of me wishes he’d call us, at least one of us, every time. But I also know that most, if not all, of it is tied to some highly illegal extracurricular activities”. Lewis says all this while heading back to prepare for the next surgery. Phone held lazily in his hand while he goes between his conversation with Anne and watching Phantom getting tossed around like he’s a new plushie being man handled by a six-year-old. Half formulating what, if any, treatments he’s going to need. And half glad that he at least has a chance to do that, instead of just, oh he doesn’t know, a certain pair of someone’s just dropping the injury out of the blue. 

Lewis can hear the slight humour in her voice, “and who are we kidding, we both know it’s usually Vee doing the calling”. 

Lewis can’t help smirking slightly at that as he pushes open the doors. “After they get fed up enough with Eddie’s avoidance issues. That, or he’s too bad to not acknowledge he needs help”, chuckling, “Eddie just hates inconveniencing people doesn’t he?”. Lewis pauses and blinks, well damn, Danny clearly had that sort of issue too. So there’s definitely no way he tells his friends about all his injuries then. Maybe only the ones seen so publicly? Or maybe Danny was the exact reverse of Eddie and Vee. Hiding the really bad ones. The really serious stuff. Because, if he applies Danny’s logic, they would be upset and thus ‘hurt’ by him being seriously injured. Lewis hums a little, maybe Eddie wasn’t quite so bad in that regard then.

Anne sighs with a level of fondness he only learned to pick up after months of hearing it, “he’s just such a good guy, right?”.

Lewis smiles softly and nods to himself, “the best. Anyway, I’ve got to get back to meat grinding”.

Anne laughs almost loosely though still controlled, “still on that, are we? You have a nice afternoon honey”. 

That only makes Lewis smile wider, “maybe I’ll work it into my permanent vocabulary. Though that may freak the staff out more than the hospital could tolerate. Bye Anne dear”. 

Lewis pauses before actually putting his phone in the tray and meeting said underlings. Danny is _supposed to be resting and healing_. Of course he can’t chew the kid out, but he’s certain two certain teens wouldn’t object to doing it. Looking back into his texts to find Anne had also sent Tucker’s number? connection line? For his PDA as well. So thoughtful. 

He’s not surprised the teen picks up near-instantly, the phone not even getting halfway through the connection sound; which was decidedly not a ringing sound. Sounding clipped and even a bit stern, “Who and why?”.

Alright, Lewis thinks, some unknown number calling a PDA was rather suspicious, especially considering Danny’s situation and recent near abduction by government agents. “It’s Lewis. I’ll make this short, as I’ve got work to do still. Tell Danny to go home and stop abusing his body till he’s at least no longer officially my patient. Dragon notwithstanding”.

Tucker snorts and actually _laughs_, “oh good luck with that one. I’ll tell him, or just send Sam to throw a shoe at him”.

Lewis sighs but hangs up anyway. Promptly depositing the phone and washing up. He had a job to do, and that job didn’t currently involve reckless half ghosts with no appreciation for preserving quality medical work. He’s honestly still ever so slightly miffed about Danny ruining all his nice symmetrical metalwork; and if gives his current patient -he’s more than a bit interested to know just what this guy did to crush his pelvis at this particular angle- metal ghosts out of a slight level of spite, well, no one needs to know.

* * *

Maddie and Jack both pause halfway down the steps to the living room and kitchen, watching as Remfell wakes up and promptly bodily throws himself onto the floor. Before springing up like someone who definitely has had way too much coffee and firmly did not mean to fall asleep. 

Remfell turns his head to them and smiles, instantly waving off any possible worry he thinks they might be feeling, “alright. I’m cool. It’s cool. I’m good”, he points around to his stuff and the signed paperwork, “I’m just going to get out of your hair now. I’m sure you’re busy people!”. As if on cue another explosion sounds from the lab, making Remfell jump nearly a foot off the ground. 

The fact that the salesman manages to actually get out of the house before Jack starts talking ghost at him, honestly makes Maddie feel a little concerned. Obviously Jack’s mind was a little bit elsewhere as well. 

It takes a bit before they actually finish walking down the stairs and head into the lab. Neither all that surprised that the CyberSteps connection zone, ports, and neuroreceptor strip are smoking. Jack instantly rushing over and salvaging what he can. Maddie’s glad for Jack’s occasional single-mindedness right now, able to go about repairing what in all on the CyberSteps already functioned the way they wanted them too, before moving to fiddle with the neuroreceptors, timer functions, and connections, again. 

Maddie electing to work on diagrams and formulating new ideas, rather then deal with tech while not entirely focused on it. The last thing she wanted was her or Jack getting hurt because she’s not totally focused. Plus, then Danny would be worried about them. He fretted so much about other people’s well being, even horribly injured and in what must have been worlds of pain. Even days later she’s still a little shocked and thrown that Danny was just so concerned for everyone else even though he was one of the worst off. Like Dan had said, it was nothing short of a miracle Danny survived at all. They’re all lucky, so very _very _lucky. And here she was pestering him on his apparent tolerance of ghosts and tolerance of his ghostly body parts. Zone, what kind of mother is she? Shouldn’t she just be glad? Proud even? That he’s still got something. That he can use It to walk, float she corrects, around. And that It doesn’t bother him. 

Maddie pauses and turns to fiddle with a little vial of ectoplasm, Danny’s ectoplasm, from the tail, that they had scraped out of the CyberSteps. They really shouldn’t have done that. Not without asking him. She’s sure he would have been okay with it, but it was the consideration behind asking that mattered. But she was just so _curious_ and she had rationalised that it wasn’t really attached to him anymore so it was fine. Well it was not fine. It was still part of him. But she had gone into scientific hunter mode, became Dr. Maddie Fenton about it. But neither had really done anything with it, so that was something. Well, outside of making absolutely sure the CyberSteps and every model or incarnation of them did not react negatively to Danny’s ectoplasm sample. But that was a good and reasonable thing to do. 

Maddie blinks and pauses in her fiddling, her mind halting its slightly self reprimanding thought pattern. Wait a second, they knew the neuroreceptor strip was fine, perfected even. And the connection ports and hooks were too, thanks to Danny’s tail that issue had been easy to resolve. Okay, yes she absolutely should be happy and thankful over the tail. Implications of It be damned. Shaking her head, anyway back to the point. 

It was the timer and conductor that were the problems, the control mechanisms for just how much ectoplasm was used, accessed, stored, and run; and at what rate. And they _had tested Danny’s ectoplasm with that_. It hadn’t become supercharged _at all_. It had drained the sample at exactly the rate it was supposed to. It had worked exactly as it was supposed to. Which meant they must be approaching this wrong. 

Deciding now might be best to seek out her better half for his input, “Jack dear, how exactly do you think Danny’s body maintains Its ectoplasmic levels?”, the tail was the key. Outside of the reactions with the CyberSteps, It hadn’t ever changed length or how much It shed. Meaning Danny’s ecto-levels were somehow fluctuating around a set point, a really high set point if his tail was anything to go by. Which is simply not possible. Even with a possibly somewhat active/awakened ghost of himself, that could only account for him being able to handle such a high ecto-level. And sure, everyone with ecto-contamination had an average level they usually hovered around, but that was because they usually ran into the same levels of free-floating ectoplasm every day. Because it was part of their routine. But Danny’s routine was completely flipped on it’s head right now. 

Jack taps his chin, “well, I used to think he was just really sensitive or naturally ecto-absorbent. But his ecto-levels would have dropped at the hospital if that were the case”, Maddie simply nods, she had figured much the same, as he continues, “now I’d say he must be producing it somehow. The, I mean his, tail clearly expunges ectoplasm, but I’m starting to get the feeling all of him can and has been doing just that for a while now”. Jack nods firmly, looking pretty sure of himself while he gets back to twisting the wrench. 

Maddie blinks, how could he possibly be _making it_? But for him to be maintaining and having a set point, regardless of his lifestyle or habit, _he would have to be_. Which means it must be possible. But how? A partly active ghost wasn’t enough to _make ectoplasm_. Unless...Maddie swallows a bit harshly and asks more or less rhetorically, “Jack...how do ghosts produce ectoplasm? Maintain their set point ecto-levels?”. She’s a little bit desperate to know if he’ll come to the same conclusion she just did. Partly scared he will, and partly hopeful he’ll have some other idea she’d never think of.

Jack pauses and drops the wrench, eyes going a little wide, which only serves to make Maddie’s stomach drop as he looks to her, “Cores. Their Cores. Mads, you don’t think...”. She knows that’s not a question but she nods a bit weakly anyway. 

Jack completely abandons working on the CyberSteps at this and the pair grab a few of their theories books. Everything about Cores were tentative theories at best. Oh they knew they were real, but their understanding of them was very much minimal. They had glimpsed the small little balls of hyper-condensed unique ectoplasm inside many of the tiny ghosts they had managed to capture and keep around long enough to dissect. Which yes, their kids had been more than a little upset about when they had found out. Jack’s pretty sure the only reason they’re not still upset is because of them agreeing to make and use something of a ghost knock-out anaesthesia. Dan had been tickled green when Jack had explained that little invention to him, even asked to read their notes on it! Though he’s not sure why Dan had smirked when Jack mentioned it had accidentally knocked Danny out once. 

Jack shakes his head, it was no good getting distracted now. Thing is, they have only guesses and general possible ideas how Cores worked in bigger more complex ghosts. Jack blinks, oh wow, why had they ever thought ghosts were simple things? Shaking his head again as he flips through a few pages. Jack grabs some scrap paper to organise his thoughts and makes a simple list. Straight forward. Easy to work with. Plain and clear. Alright, so some things they know have been consistent every time with Cores.

What we know: Cores

  1. Glow brighter than the ghost

  2. Can come in colours other than green

  3. Comprised of a unique kind of ectoplasm

  4. Many times more dense than regular ectoplasm and varies by ghost

  5. Always intangible 

  6. Intangibility is impervious to artificial anti-ecto things

  7. Situated in the centre of the largest area of the ghost

  8. Can convert, create, filter, and expel ectoplasm

  9. Feeds off of free-floating ectoplasm

  10. Ghosts are more protective of the area where their Core is

  11. Can be hurt/have their Core ectoplasm diminished

  12. Likely every ghost that can leave the GZ has one

Jack starts making another list while pushing the first to Maddie to look over and possibly add on to. 

What we know: Danny

  1. Highly ecto-contaminated

  2. Can’t be de-contaminated

  3. Slow heartbeat and pulse

  4. Low body temp

  5. Has an ectoplasmic set point

  6. Ecto-sensors detect him 

  7. Ghostly tail 

  8. Expels ectoplasm 

Jack looks to the (mostly) reattached neuroreceptors on the CyberSteps and tentatively adds 

  1. really strong (Fenton genes?)

Maddie pushes back the first list having added:

  1. If removed, the ghost will eventually dissolve and reform around their Core 

  2. Only found inside ghosts

  3. Can’t be created in a lab setting

  4. Can hurt the ghost when overstimulated/overproducing

  5. Can increase or decrease regular and Core ectoplasm conversion, production, absorption, and expulsion to a degree 

Then looking over Jack’s list on Danny. chuckling a little hollowly at the last one. Thinking on it, she modifies that one before adding to the Danny list.

  1. really strong (Fenton genes?) (ectoplasm overproduction?)

  2. Unbothered by ghostly body parts or behaviours 

  3. Highly scared of ghosts

  4. Dislikes anti-ghost devices, especially the Spector Deflector 

  5. Abnormal healing 

Thinking back to one of the first conversations with Dan, she adds with a slightly shaky hand:

  1. Should have died

Blinking then as she looks over the Danny list again, Then completely unbidden, a memory comes sharply into focus, from right after they had extensively decontaminated him for the third time. He had looked uncomfortable, she had chalked it up to decontamination not being the most fun thing to experience. But more important than that, at least to her right now, was how _he had been rubbing his chest_. The largest area on a human being. As if he’d been soothing an ache, or massaging a sore muscle. 

  1. Chest reacts negatively when ectoplasm levels are very high or very low

The two put the papers down and look between them. Maddie runs a hand through her hair, “if he has this, has a...Core, it would explain why we can’t decontaminate him. How he...produces it. Produces ectoplasm. How he can support and maintain the ghostly tail consistently. How he can have a somewhat awakened ghost. And why his dangerously high ecto-contamination doesn’t hurt him. Jack, this makes too much sense. This, it shouldn’t be possible”.

Jack nods absently, she’s right, of course she is, he married an incredibly smart woman after all. Smarter than him by a long shot. But she could be so limited by the known, by what’s possible. Often unable to see how something _could_ be possible. Muttering mostly to himself, “but it could be”, before turning to her and explaining almost excitedly. He would be completely excited, ecstatic even, if his boys health and body wasn’t mixed up in this, “think about it. The constant state of intangibility would let It coexist through and around his organs! It could run a whole separate ecto-circulatory system based off of Danny’s current one and run it alongside what he’s naturally got for support! Of course ectoplasm doesn’t hurt him then! And that would explain the tail too! The natural set up of Danny’s ecto-circulatory system would be imprinted on the Core! So It just reformed it the best It could with Danny’s body for support! The Core is his ghost!”, Jack can’t help grin a little at that. He’d always been worried that Danny’s ecto-contamination would damage him or even _kill him_ one day. But this way that can’t possibly happen! He’s not ecto-contaminated, he’s immune to it! Ecto-immunity! Neat! His Core must just eat the free-floating ectoplasm that any person in Amity Park would routinely absorb just by living here! 

Maddie breaks into his thoughts and promptly sobers him up, “but Jack, what if this _hurts him._ Humans aren’t supposed to have _Cores_. And this still doesn’t explain how this is even close to possible”. 

Rubbing his neck slightly, “I’m sure he’d tell us if something was hurting him. And maybe it’s because of all the ectoplasm contact? All of this has been a constant in the kids' lives after all”.

Maddie shakes her head and worries her lip a little, “but then Jazz would have one too. And she doesn’t have even a third of the things on Danny’s list”. 

Jack taps his chin for a beat, “maybe if she was genetically identical to Danny then she would? Maybe he really _is_ sensitive to ectoplasm, and that made this possible. That anyone who’s ectoplasmicly sensitive, possibly like Danny, in a high ectoplasm environment would develop a ghost Core?”. 

Maddie has to admit he’s got a good point. Rubbing her forehead, she really wishes they knew how Cores formed in the first place. They were already certain that Danny’s ghost must already be somewhat active, but for It to already be integrated into him to such a level? This just can’t be a good thing. For Danny’s body to be supporting this, It would absolutely have to be affecting him back beyond just some strange vitals. It would have to be affecting his mind. Glancing back to the lists, her eyes get pulled to the ‘Unbothered by ghostly body parts or behaviours’ point. It was affecting his mind, his behaviours, his thought patterns. This was, this had made Danny think a little like a ghost. Okay with his body acting like one. And thinking back to their conversation with Danny, all the previous ones they had with him, all the times Danny’s showed dislike for their work. Danny was ghost friendly,_ too ghost friendly_. But he was also skittish and scared of them? Rubbing her temple again while Jack’s contemplating himself and eating. Okay, maybe Danny views ghosts positively on paper but not in person? Well, in person they can hurt him; so that does make some sense. But ghosts were dangerous in person because of how they were on paper, at a fundamental level. Yet Danny doesn’t apparently see it that way. Neither does Jazz. Or Tucker. Or Sam. Or Dan. No one who’s talked with Danny does. Even _Vlad_ doesn’t. Even if him and Danny seemingly hate each other. Maddie totally understands the hatred in Danny’s case. 

Could it be that Danny, because of this effect on his brain, understands the way ghosts think? And because of very much being a human being, he’s able to put it in such a way that a regular human could understand it too? If they listened? Maddie tilts her head up to the ceiling, Danny’s previous words rattling in her head, _‘amazing what you can learn when you just **listen**’_. Danny...Danny couldn’t have been more blunt about that if he tried. Without literally yelling ‘would you just listen to me!’. Or maybe he was just talking about how ghosts, apparently, gossip, and she’s reading too much into it. 

Maddie jumps a little bit when Jack loudly claps his hands together, “Mads! That’s what wrong! The CyberSteps are reacting to the Core, not his ectoplasm! And making It over-stimulated!”, Maddie gets up and walks over a bit numbly while Jack is pulling out parts of the timer and conductor, “the systems to regulate how much ectoplasm is taken from him must be making the, his, Core overcompensate by rapidly producing ectoplasm! So either we need to find a way to communicate to his Core that ‘hey this is okay. Don’t worry’ or utilise his ectoplasm as fuel in a way that mimics something ghosts naturally do! Like shooting ecto-blasts! Except near constantly”, Jack tilts his head, “and through the tail”. 

Maddie mentally shakes herself, back to work, she can think on Danny’s impossible oddness and probable Core and all those implication some other time. Picking up the neuroreceptor strip, “if we want to go the first route, it would have to be through the neuroreceptors and we have no way to know if that’s safe”. Blinking and walking back to Jack, squeezing his shoulder slightly, “Jack we have to be careful. We don’t know enough about Cores, we can not risk hurting...his. We don’t even know what that could possibly do to him”, when he looks up to her and instantly nods strongly she continues, “so I’d say we have to go with the mimicking option”. 

Maddie grabs up the timer, it had to be modified to work for someone who converts, creates, filters, and circulates ectoplasm after all. Absently she remembers just how sheepish and apologetic Danny had seemed when they had tried and tried and failed to correct his contamination. How, by the very next day, he would be back up to the _exact same levels_. How had they missed that? The implications of that? It should have been _obvious_. But they missed it. Both of them did. Because...because_ they didn’t want to notice it_. Danny was _right_, they were only seeing, only acknowledging, what they wanted to see. 

* * *

It’s a fair bit late at night and Danny is honestly a little surprised, though also not, that his folks haven’t come to check on him. It seems like they’re getting back into the swing of things a little. Maybe anyway. And right now Danny’s counting that as a blessing; considering how he’s intangibly digging through his wall for the really tough ectoline, while holding his arm together in his mouth. 

Rolling his eyes, he can’t believe -okay yes he can- Lewis called Tuck. That wasn't even a bad fight! And he didn’t ruining the guys work! Well okay, not in that fight anyway. Sighing and mumbling into the flesh on his arm, firmly ignoring the ectoplasm leaking down his cheek and chin. He really should clean his floor though, considering the splashing from the dripping ectoplasm sounds more like it’s hitting a sponge than anything else. “It sorously eems hat tha bag wons arr ummin’ owta tha worudd ow tha ‘m ack”. It’s expected really, all the ghosties missing their favourite punching bag that genuinely can pulverise them back. Plus, his little absence likely gave the more genuine asshole pricks the notion that Phantom was ‘off his game’ or ‘more seriously hurt’ and thus an ‘easier target’. But Aragon was back in the Draconic’s prison, Dora appreciated the quick visit (though there was the quick misunderstanding about his leglessness. Her panicking that it was somehow Aragon’s fault), Skulker got to reaffirm that Danny was without a doubt his absolute most favourite target and would ‘absolutely be mounted above his bed!’, and Danny got to enjoy his ectoplasm singing happily in his veins. Sure his ectoplasm was still -seriously how long was this going to last?- thrashing around unnecessary violently in his system, but he had definitely expended some of the built-up ectoplasmic energy. 

Danny only just finishes stitching his arm together when his ghost sense goes off. Danny only staring at the icy mist for a second before spotting Red getting thrown rather violently into a building, her board flying into it, and an explosion sounding seconds later. 

Danny promptly transforming, again, and zipping out to be greeted by the sound of monologuing. 

“-IME TO FACE UTTER DEFEAT FIRST! NOW I! TECHNUS! WILL LORD OVER THE AFTERMATH! THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER! I GET TO GLOAT NOW!”.

Danny watches as Technus seems to nearly wiggle with joy as he continues rambling.

“BRAGGING IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN REVEALING MY PLANS OUTRIGHT! TASTE TECHNUS’S, THE MASTER OF ALL THINGS ELECTRONIC AND BEEPING, VICTORY DANCE ON YOUR GRAVE!”.

At this Danny can’t help but snort and comically shout, “I’d say you’re _gravely_ mistaken! It’s you and your outdated tech that needs to be dealt the _grave_! But don’t worry, your _graveyard_ dance just showed up to _haunt_ you!”. With that Danny flings himself into the fray, hearing Red groan from annoyance and total exasperation instead of pain, tells Danny she’s probably fine. 

Danny promptly kicks Technus in the face with both feet, sending the ridiculously uncool ghost flying. Technus quickly phasing back through the building only a little worse for the wear -because really, physical attacks don’t do too much. Danny just likes hitting things, okay?- and instantly forgets about not monologuing before, during, or apparently after; fights. “YOU HAVE RETURNED IN PROPER, GHOST CHILD! WHAT I AM DOING WITH THE RED ONE IS NO BUSINESS OF YOURS! FOR SHE USES MY WONDROUS TECHNOLOGY YET IS NOT BEING A PROPER PUPPET! I SLAVED AWAY WITH THE PERFECT SCHEME AND DESIGN! AND WHAT DID I GET! SHE CARES NOT FOR MY DESIGN! I SHALL TAKE AND CONTROL WHAT IS MINE!”.

Danny dodges a hurtled Computer monitor, while finger-gunning, “dude, that is surprising more villainous sounding than usual. But y’all have me floating around here, workin’ till I’m_ half-dead_, and being a straight prick to what’s basically my coworker”, Danny shoots off a couple ecto-blasts and rays while Red grumbles about how they are _not _coworkers and how work generally doesn’t give the dead back half their life. Danny snickers over her complete misunderstanding while shouting, “and if you think I’m gonna let you _disarmingly_ disrobe Red, you’re _gravely_ mistaken!”. Pointing at Red, “I know I already use that one so hush”.

Red rolls her eyes hard enough that her head moves with the motion and Danny spots her nab up her board, slink into an alleyway, and start fiddling with wiring. Good, looks like she’s learned some tech and how her stuff operates. Might have something to do with having to figure out how to deactivate that scanner of hers, so his tail wouldn’t perpetually set it off whenever she got anywhere near him. Having his legs whacked off and developing a ghostly tail was definitely one of the odder ways to help her out, but he’s not complaining. 

“YOU MAY NOT WORK ALONE, GHOST CHILD! BUT EVEN COMBINED YOUR MIGHT IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE GREA-”.

Danny cuts him off with a snowball and one overly-dramatic yawn, “the Mighty Meaty Melt’s got more _might_ than you even on a bad night!”. Apparently he put a little too much dramatics into his little stunt, as Technus manages to catch him utterly off guard. Hurling and burying him for a second under a mound of old keyboards and -definitely no longer compatible with modern technology- mouses. 

“HA!”.

Danny grabs and dislodges a keyboard that had managed to actually slice into and embed itself in his right arm; flicking a bit of ectoplasm through the air. Well, this was certainly a new one. Mumbling at his arm, “awww, you ghostly ghastly motherfucker. Okay. Alright then”, before looking back up to the floating Technus and pointing with very obvious mock aggression, “if ya gonna abuse shit then you should at least have the decency to put cases on them! So now I’m making a _case_ against you, with my fist!”, and zipping back into aerial battle.

Danny lets Technus wrap a computer cable around him and smirks, “don’tcha know? My personality is absolutely _electrifying_”, and promptly sending an ecto-electrical charge down the cord. Zapping Technus and all his tech to high Hell. 

Red muttering, “since when could he do that?”. She’s also wondering why the Zone his body’s seems to be vibrating rather than holding a completely stable form. His voice also echoed more than normal. 

Danny spins his head around and down at Red’s comment, “you’ll find the sheer amount I can do is rather _shocking_”. Which gives Technus the chance to pick himself back up and seek revenge for his fallen technological brethren. 

“YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THIS WHELP! DO THIS TO ME! YOU SHALL FEAST ON MY TECHNOLOGICAL NIGHTMARES!”.

Danny just shouts, "who do you think you are?! the FrightKnight?! Nocturne?!". While Technus slams a telephone phone pole down on him, it jumping with electrical current the whole while. One of the wires snapping and managing to bisect Danny’s arm, again. Danny hurdles another snowball while shouting, “Oh come on! I _just_ fixed that! I’m far too dead for life to be doing me dirty like this!”.

Technus pauses for a beat and sticks up a finger, “technically death, see we are ghosts. The dead”.

Danny throws his hands out to the side, ignoring both the weirdness of Technus not shouting for once and the halves of his arm flopping around, “fine! I’m far too alive for death to be doing me dirty like this! Happy?!?”. Red face-palms, though tosses a chunk of fabric at him. Huh, guess she has changed some. Danny uses it to tie his arm together without ever breaking eye contact with Technus. 

Danny snickers, which is honestly slightly worrying to Technus, who knows damn well Phantom could have sucked him into that thermos of his by now. Danny jumps up high and sticks his arms out, “time to get crack-a-lackin’! ‘Cause I’m gonna light this ecto techno virus up!”. With that Danny just releases a small shockwave of ectoplasmic energy, somehow managing to right the telephone pole and sweep all the debris out of the street at the same time. Leaving Technus literally smoking and with hair a bit frizzed out. Chuckling Danny sucks him into the thermos. That’ll, maybe, teach the ghosties to think he’s weakened. 

Waving down to the small crowd and people sticking their heads out doors. A couple are clearly rolling their eyes or scoffing. Switching to a slightly deep baritone, that he knows one day will be his natural tone even if it’s unpleasantly similar to _Dan’s_, “worry not! I’d say this situation is thoroughly resolved! Remember, be kind to clean up as they arrive! And know that while you may never believe or see yourselves in this kind of light, know that each of you can be a hero in your own right!”. Danny gives a quick salute and flies off, before anyone has a chance to yell or throw something at him. Though he does hear someone mutter about him rhyming. 

Danny’s not all that surprised when Red floats up on her hoverboard to fly next to him. With her raising an eyebrow at him, though it’s kinda hard to tell through the helmet, “what’s up with you?”.

Danny spins around, gives her a matching raised eyebrow, and snickers a little, “lots of pent up energy you could say. A little _overcharged_”. Though she doesn’t groan audibly, he can see it in her posture. 

Red snapping slightly, “what? Not enough ghostly chaos lately for you to get your rocks off, Phantom”. Of course he was just looking for a fight. Typical ghost. 

Danny only gets the chance to smirk before having to dodge a blast, hearing Red mutter about how ‘damn spooks never change’. Making him genuinely chuckle before blinking out of visible range and slinking off. Was messing with the huntress, a.k.a his girlfriend who just didn’t know it, arguably stupid? Yes. So was walking into the portal; and that worked out pretty well in the end. All things considered. 

* * *

Lewis heaves his overnight bags over his shoulder as he walks up the steps of the Fenton house, bag of medical supplies and equipment in his other hand; thus making him have to resort to kicking the door with his foot instead of knocking. Quirking an eyebrow at Maddie opening the door looking more than a little preoccupied and bothered. Raising both his eyebrows disbelievingly when she shyly admits to having lost track of time and _not checking in on Danny for hours_. And not only that, she seemingly adds on, as if it’s an afterthought, “oh, and we tested out another prototype just after you left and his ectoplasm reacted a bit badly. When you check in on him, could you ask him if that’s better?”. She says all this while very clearly distracted. No wonder Danny managed to hide his half-ghost status and sneak out to moonlight as a vigilante. If Lewis was literally any other doctor, not only would he rip _them _a new one for this level of negligence, but the hospital would rip into _him_ for not ensuring the patient was being properly watched. But since he’s Dr. Dan Lewis, not a normal doctor or person arguably, the hospital _will not_ know -heck! Danny wasn’t even supposed to be here till tomorrow- so Lewis will just give Maddie some seriously unimpressed facial expressions. 

Lewis shakes his head as he walks in and sets his bags to the side, speaking in a slightly degrading tone, “well then, I best go do that first thing then”. Maddie just nods and absently says, “supper will be ready in a while”. Making Lewis hope that supper in this household is not usually around eleven at night. Not to mention making him wonder if Danny has eaten anything other than pancakes today. 

Lewis doesn’t bother with knocking -because really? What weirder thing could he possibly walk into at this point?- and is both glad he did that and regretting that he did that. Seeing as the sight that greets him, is Danny with a Hagedorn needle in his mouth, glowing green thread trailing over the bed. And with his left arm _bisected and three fingers just dangling and barely attached_. Looking slightly more to the side to see a shattered arm brace. Danny opens his mouth, the needle falling out and embedding itself in part of his arm, “uh, what’s up doc?”. 

Lewis levels him with some seriously unimpressed eyebrows, he might as well just make that his default facial expression today, “_seriously_?”.

Danny shrugs, “whatcha gonna do? Shoot me?”. Danny makes a face that seemingly expects the reaction to his comment to be immediately getting shot. 

Lewis raises an eyebrow and shakes his head as he walks forward, “technically, I could stab you. You know us surgeons, never that far from a scalpel or two”. Lewis bends down and plucks the needle out of Danny’s arm. Alright, so clearly Danny emphatically _did_ give himself medical treatment and _did _have a disturbing pain tolerance. So Lewis does the only logical thing he can, and points at the glowing green stitching, “why?”.

Danny just holds up his _bisected and half-stitched up_ arm like that answers anything. So Lewis glares, “this is a health thing. Why is it green, and glowing?”. 

Danny looks slightly shocked, like he legitimately did not realise that was what Lewis was curious about, “oh that? Think of it like ghostly stitching. It’s ectoline. Technically it’s for fishing, but I’ve repurposed it”, Danny shrugs while Lewis just keeps glaring, that did not explain why he was using it instead of medical-grade stuff. Danny picks back up with a slight eye roll, “doc, I have _intangibility_. Regular stitching will quite literally fall through me. This stuff-”, Danny holds up a bundle of the ectoline, “-is phase proof. Also means it can be used to tie up a ghost”. 

Lewis blinks, “so what? Are you about to tell me that all the stitching I put in you, which is a lot by the way, just_ fell out_?”. Lewis was aware that Danny, apparently and according to him, didn’t actually need hospital medical treatment. But it was seriously this useless for him? 

Danny quickly shakes his head, “unless I was literally turning intangible in my sleep, no”, Danny snaps his fingers and points at Lewis, “oh but again with the whole ‘ectoplasm eats everything’ thing. Ectoline can tolerate prolonged ectoplasmic contact. Regular stitching though, that was probably destroyed in a half-hour at best”. Danny shrugs a bit sheepishly at that, before starting to align his messed up fingers. 

Lewis shakes his head but promptly sits down and helps, ignoring Danny’s ‘I can do it myself’ eye roll. At least Danny recognises a lost cause and just lets Lewis do it. Though he does smack Danny’s hand away from the Hagedorn needle, to stop the kid from trying to stitch up the same arm that Lewis is trying to fix mangled fingers on. 

Danny huffs while Lewis goes about stitching his arm back into one piece, this ectoline stuff is definitely thicker and vibrates slightly; impressively weights next to nothing though. Must be due to some gravity-defying ectoplasmic properties. In doing this Lewis absolutely notes how the stitching lines up very closely with some of Danny’s scars. Clearly this is not a first time occurrence. “How often does this happen?”.

Danny chuckles a bit meanly, lifting up his other arm and splitting it in half. Shrugging as the limb snaps back together, “as an injury? Once every few months. Second time today though”. 

“_You’re supposed to be resting and healing_”. Bisected twice in one day. _Twice_.

Danny rolls his eyes, “if I sense a ghost, I fight the ghost”, shrugging, “unless it’s a friendly of course”. Making Lewis very glad that Eddie -or Vee- can’t just sense crime. 

Lewis shakes his head, while Danny transforms back human. At least the rest of the braces are intact, though he is a little curious how the bandaging on the stitched arm is completely intact. Raising an inquisitive eyebrow at Danny as he feels up Danny’s arm; the stitching is very much still there and under the bandaging. 

Danny just shrugs, so clearly he’s got no clue himself. 

Though now that he’s not fretting over the fact that Danny was seriously -by regular human and even Symbiote standards- injured, he -now knowing for sure that Danny really, truly, does his own stitching and what not- slightly admires how cleanly and well done most of Danny’s old injuries must have been treated, based on how the scars had looked anyway. Tucker clearly doesn’t like hospitals or anything related to them, so Lewis somehow doubts Tucker has done much of Danny’s patching up. His gut tells him the vast majority was treated by Danny himself. Danny’s work is honestly better than what he’s seen from quite a few interns. And that’s with using foreign tools, large needles, doing it to _himself_, working on a body that has a largely unknown biology, and without any formal training. Alright, so Lewis is officially _impressed_. And a little depressed, if he’s honest. 

Lewis taps his chin while he goes about fetching a new arm brace, “you know, you’re pretty good at doing my job”. 

Danny chuckles, “uh, I’m not sure if that’s a compliment, or you giving me shit”. 

Lewis tilts his head as if to contemplate, “it can be both”, before sitting back down on the bed and getting to work securing the brace. Making damn sure it won’t be too tight or the wrong size of course. “Mostly the first though. Ever considered a career in medicine?”.

Danny groans dramatically, and if it wasn’t for Lewis’s firm grip he would have flopped backwards onto the bed, “this again? Doc, I don’t think you -or any other doctor/surgeon for that matter- would appreciate me just _waltzing out of the surgery room and fucking off in the middle of a surgery_ to throw down against the dead”, Danny shrugs and smirks slightly, “though me smelling like blood, gore, and antiseptic would be one way to confuse my opponents”. Danny blinks and wheezes a little, and actually being able to lay down now that he’s got a new brace, thinking of how if he transformed back human during a fight he would just be in scrubs and possibly bloody. Laughing a bit, “and if they saw me all bloody gloved etcetera, I’d probably stun them into forgetting to defend themselves!”, staring at the ceiling for a bit before adding, “okay, Skulker might be proud actually. Thinking I was skinning someone or something. Spectra and Plasmius might think I was dabbling in the mad scientist side of life and death”.

Lewis shrugs, he’s worked under more inconvenient circumstances that an underling running off. There was that notable time when half the OR lit on fire and the fire extinguisher exploded, while he was in the middle of doing an emergency Cholecystectomy, “well if you worked in a morgue then rushing off wouldn’t matter too much. I don’t think a cadaver would really care or mind all that much. Also-”, Lewis holds up his bandaging kit, “-it’s about time to refresh those bandages”. Especially considering the one on his bisected arm was probably too tight now. That ectoline was pretty thick. 

Danny nods acceptingly before screwing up his face something fierce, “I think I work and deal with death and the dead enough as it is, thank you very much”. Though Danny has to admit the docs got a point, a rather funny one too. The half-dead who fights the dead working on dead remains. 

Lewis doesn’t seem to care that Danny’s already vetoed this idea, speaking as he sets to work, “and, correct me if I’m wrong here, if one of the deceased you handled also resulted in a ghost, you could help with closure, finding out what happened, or even be there when the ghost formed? Or do they not form here on Earth before going to the Ghost Zone?”. 

Danny blinks, that made a weird level of sense if you didn’t know the first thing about ghost culture, “Lewis, no offence or anything, but if I was a whole ass ghost and someone just came out and told me they worked on _my corpse_, I would be more than a little put off. Plus-”, Danny lifts a hand off the bed and points at him, “-hurting a ghost with, making a ghost relive, reminding a ghost of, or asking about how; they died, is a big no-no. It don’t bother me because what offed me is literally in the basement and I see it daily. I’m one Hell of an outlier. Also, yeah ghosts don’t form here on Earth. They form in the Zone”. Danny sits up on his elbows and Lewis dutifully waits for Danny to finish up his ghost culture speech, “there is some other more general exceptions I guess. Like deathdays and any powers that are tied to how the ghost died. Like my Ghostly Wail for example”, Danny moves his hands around a bit animatedly, Lewis is pretty sure he’s defying gravity to do so without falling back into the bed, “I have that one because I just screamed so goddamn much and loudly that it became a power. Sam and Tuck are _very_ glad it does _not _sound like my actual scream. Hence calling it a ‘wail’ instead of a ‘scream’. Still sounds pretty horrifying I’m told though”. 

Lewis will absolutely admit, if asked, that hearing Danny just bluntly talk about dying and screaming in agony to such a severe degree that it basically imprinted on his very spirit and became part of his being, is a bit disturbing. Especially with part of that said spirit intangibly waving through him. Even if Danny had already basically said he screamed very loudly. Loud enough for an entire dimension to hear him. And he has to ask, because he’s _interested_, “so it hurt that bad huh?”.

Danny points at him, “and there you have an example of something you should never ask a ghost. But yes. It sucked. Go get struck by four lightning bolts at once and open up a blackhole in your chest, and that would probably be comparable”. Lewis can only nod in acquiescence and a bit of sympathy at that. When Danny said he died rather brutally, he was not kidding. He still didn’t know _exactly _how Danny died or what exactly -he had a pretty darn good guess though- had killed him. Not a very pleasant conversation, especially if that was ‘taboo’ for ghosts, to be having.

Lewis, well aware his social skills are a bit lacking, rather jarringly changes the subject as he finishes up on the wrappings, “I’d say you'd still make a decent surgeon or assistant though. I’d dare say you’d be better company than most of my underlings”. 

Danny sputters a bit incredulously, eyebrows shooting up into his hair, “are you _offering me a job???_”. Danny’s brain doesn’t even know what to begin to think about that.

“Legally, no. You have no training or schooling to speak of”, Lewis turns his head to the door as Maddie calls that supper’s ready, getting up and looking to Danny again, “but, let’s say the offer’s there should you choose to pursue medical school”.

Danny is more than a little bit thrown, especially when Lewis damn _winks_ at him before heading out the door. The fuck is he supposed to make of that? For now that’s getting shoved in a neat little ‘what the _fuck_’ box in his brain. While he floats over to his hover cushion so he can hover down for food.

* * *

Lewis does take some genuine pleasure and pride out of Danny giving him some seriously strange looks as they sit down for supper. It’s like the first time Anne and him invited Eddie over, like he was expecting Lewis to say ‘haha just kidding, get the fuck out of here’ and like Lewis just _could not _be a real person. But just like then, Lewis means his actions and words. 

Lewis finishes spooning some of the (overcooked)spaghetti noodles onto his plate, ignoring the plate of pancakes that are definitely horribly stale at this point. Slightly tempted to tell Danny off for eating them, but Eddie eats far worse. 

Glancing to Maddie as she smiles at Danny, “you look to be doing better now sweetie”, she sounds a fair bit strained. 

Danny nods, clearly having picked up on her tone and thus looking a little paranoid, “yeah, I uh, expended all the energy I think”. 

Maddie nods absently, “that’s good. No problems with your chest or anything?”. 

Lewis is pretty sure Danny’s resisting squinting suspiciously, instead just raising an eyebrow and plastering his face with a look of curious innocence, “no?”. Maddie and Jack both simply nod instead of answering. 

Alright, Lewis thinks, this is officially awkward. Even by his standards. He’s a bit thankful when Jasmine comes down the stairs seconds later, yawning all the while. “Guys get caught up in work again?”, sitting and taking the bowl of noddles, sensibly avoiding the hours old pancakes. 

Jack nods eagerly, obviously grasping at the conversational life-raft, “yup! We struck a few new ideas. We’re still working through the kinks though”, Jack tilts his head and looks to Lewis, “got a few questions for you actually”. 

Lewis quirks an eyebrow and ignores how Danny covers up a frown by shoving a fork full of noodles into his mouth. Lewis is not the one to call upon to rescue drowning conversations, and proceeds to prove that by saying nothing more than, “oh?”.

Maddie nods before glancing a little worriedly at Danny, which just serves to make Danny a little more worried, “it’s about Danny’s surgery. Though maybe you’d want to get settled in first”, Lewis waves her concerns off, so she turns to Danny, “and I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable sweetie”. 

Danny’s pretty sure it’s a little late to avoid making him uncomfortable. And he absolutely wants to know what his parents are curious about. There’s a lot of options really, considering Lewis worked on pretty well his entire body and put foreign metals in it. But wouldn’t Lewis have already told them about all that? He decides just to shrug like he doesn’t care. 

Jazz shakes her head, she’d like to say surgery isn’t suitable table talk, but in the Fenton house _everything_ was suitable table talk. But a normal teenager absolutely should be bothered hearing about their own surgery and considering Danny’s nightmares often included dissection, this is firmly not healthy for him, “is it something explicit?”. 

Maddie shakes her head immediately, certainly Danny wouldn’t like to hear about that and honestly, neither would she. “No, nothing like that”, Maddie decides that there really isn’t any gentle or kind way to ask before looking back to Dan, “we were just wondering if, when you were...working, you saw anything unusual. Like...a ball of energy, maybe”. 

Everyone pauses their eating and goes silent, Danny drops his fork. 


	7. It’s About Goddamn Time But Your Timing Still Sucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Maddie get to the core of some problems. Lewis gets a proper team Phantom hazing by making Danny have a Bad Time. And Danny seriously wants to know how this shit always happens to him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ectober 2019 Day 11: Time Part 3 & DannyMay 2020 Day11: Doctor

Danny is mentally chanting ‘oh fuck’ and is firmly going into crisis mode. She was asking if he _had a Core_. And Lewis wasn’t all that keen on lying to them. And Danny can’t ask _why _they want to know, if it’s actually important or not. Better yet, how, after two whole years, did they finally come across the idea that he has, or might have, a ghost Core? It was probably something he said while his ectoplasm was abusing his veins, wasn’t it? Or was the tail just one ghostly thing too many? Or maybe it’s because he wasn’t being bothered enough by, well, by everything? Part of him is happy they’re not asking _him _if he has a Core, because he’d have to figure out what to even say. But the other part of him is losing it’s damn mind, because what the Zone is Lewis going to say to that? That’s a goddamn yes or no question, not something the dude can just bullshit his way around. And Lewis isn’t even used to bullshitting around his parents, so it’s not like he’d even have a guide for how to do that. Wait okay, Danny could make a duplicate and just do something to distract them? But that wouldn’t make the question go away! And they’d still be suspicious! Shit, if he’s going to do something, he has to do it _now_. 

Jazz meanwhile, is engaging her emergency damage control mode, sighing exasperatedly, “by ‘energy’ you mean ghost energy don’t you? The car accident had nothing to do with ghosts, mom, and I highly doubt there was some ghost toying around in the OR”, sighing again for effect and kicking Danny under the table to cut off whatever mental panic spiral he’s going down, “not everything involves ghosts”. 

Maddie sighs with heavily veiled annoyance, a bit used to Jasmine’s annoyance with their field of work, “that’s not what this is about Jazz”, shaking her head and correcting, “well yes, it _is _about ghostly energy. But not like that”.

Jazz rolls her eyes, “somehow I doubt that. Look, Danny’s perfectly fine. He’s healing, isn’t that good enough?”. 

Lewis is again reminded that everyone around Danny is overprotective of him, while Jasmine and Maddie argue -it’s more of a debate really, way too calm to be called arguing. Especially compared to Eddie and Vee’s arguments, which have been literal torture on more than one occasion. Jack just looks lost and chooses to focus in on his food instead. But this does give Lewis the chance to have an arguably sneaky -even though they are easily visible- conversation. Again, this kind of thing is exactly why Danny’s been able to keep the secrets he has been, not only in the same house but directly in front of them. 

Danny whispering at him without turning to look at him, “what are you gonna do?”. 

Lewis looks from Jack to Maddie, they were definitely still friends of his even after all these years and he’d like to keep it that way. And he knows Danny is overly paranoid about them and his secret. But logically, this isn’t _the_ secret, just _a_ secret. But he also remembers Jasmine being pretty explicit in that damage to Danny’s Core was very much _bad_. And that his Core is something Danny is much more paranoid over Jack and Maddie finding out about compared other things. Understandably so honestly. But Lewis is still damn certain Danny isn’t giving his folks enough credit. “I’d like to say ‘consider this your heads up’ but I’m guessing you don’t want to go the honesty route”. Danny glares at him, the ‘no fucking shit’ being obvious. Lewis sighs slightly and eyeballs Jack and Maddie for a beat to make sure they still haven’t tuned in, “I did tell you I don’t care for lying to friends. Bold-faced lying is different from omissions”. 

Danny and Lewis look at Maddie as they catch the back end of her reply, “-ffects how we have to model the conductor and timer functions. But it’s best we know so we don’t test something that’ll react badly”. 

Jazz quickly gives Danny a pointed but subtle look. Clearly she doesn’t think Danny’s getting out of this one. While Lewis looks to Danny as well but points towards Maddie, not bothering to whisper since that should be enough of a sign to Danny that Lewis IS going to be more or less honest, “now see that, that is a medical concern. A health thing”. 

Danny just groans subtly, though manages to restrain from saying, ‘Ancients give me strength’ or the much more long-winded, ‘Zones power cometh and grant my folks _don’t_ want to remove my Core or draw any dangerous conclusions’.

Maddie looks to Lewis, having easily heard him, and nods. The last thing anyone wants is them hooking up the (almost finished)new Core focused prototypes into the CyberSteps and getting Danny to test them. Only for them to try reacting and working with something that’s not actually there. Who knows what kind of damage that could do. “We need to know”, looking back to Jazz, “me and Jack promise this is purely about Danny and his health, not our research”. Jack instantly nods, “swear it, Jazzypants”. 

Jazz sighs and nods, “alright then”, before quickly looking to Danny then Lewis. Hoping she at least bought enough time for them to figure their shit out...and for Danny to compose himself into something that isn’t a paranoid freaking out mess. 

Everyone looks to Lewis then, who goes into ‘breaking bad news but making it sound like a not so terrible thing’ Doctor mode. Lewis leans forward a bit but maintaining a loose posture, these were friends not strangers, and asks, “what got you curious? If you don’t mind me asking. I didn’t get much in the way of details about the aforementioned negative reaction with the prosthetic prototype”. 

Danny blinks, not having known Lewis had gotten_ any details_ about that.

Jack shakes his head more so to himself, “oh no, it doesn’t really have to do with the reaction itself”, offhandedly adding, “which was just more an intense version of the first reaction he had, that you saw”. Then nodding his head towards the lab door, “it just got us thinking. Trying to figure out why things weren’t working”.

Maddie leans back and sighs a little, before running a hand through her hair, “if what we’re thinking is, in fact, the case, then it makes sense why. Otherwise it should be working exactly how we’ve designed it to”, she pushes around a few noodles on her plate, to buy some time to word this right. She doesn’t want to encourage Dan to see what she’s looking for by going too in-depth. She’s never felt so aware of confirmation bias as she does now, “so we made some notes from ground zero to see if we’d spot something we might have previously missed. We think we might have, but there’s no way for us to safely confirm”. In short, she is, in no uncertain terms, firmly _NOT _putting Danny under the knife to check. Ever. 

Danny’s a little bit stunned, pleasantly stunned, but still. They’d rather_ not know _than do something utterly unsafe to him. Considering how little they really cared about safety, that was a bit of a feat. It...it meant they were really serious, really genuine. 

While Lewis nods acceptingly, “overlooking things can be quite common within medicine. Especially when self-assessing or assessing people we have close relations with. Often symptoms and signs will be ignored or brushed off because they, or we, don’t want to acknowledge or see them. It is far easier to think a mole is just a mole, rather than skin cancer, and have to deal with the fallout of that fact”, Lewis dips his head slightly, “but of course, ignoring things is very seldom the best outcome. Especially when it comes to things that affect how we live our lives or view the world”. 

Picking up on the slight apologetic guilt written across both their faces, that is very much aimed at Danny, Lewis decides his point is very much made, “but as for Danny specifically. As I’ve said, he’s very much lucky. He will have a complete and healthy recovery. So you have nothing to worry about in that regard. What you’re worried about here is purely to do with the prosthetics, correct?”. 

Danny instantly returns his moms' smile, genuinely meaning it. And he’s glad she seems genuinely relieved to get the reminder that he’s going to be just fine. While his dad beams, “he’s a tough kid, and we’re absolutely proud of that!”, Danny damn near tears up when he looks to him and says with very obvious honestly, “regardless of how or why he’s tough”. 

Lewis restrains both an incredibly smug smirk and delighted smile, both would be very inappropriate right now. Instead, he just nods curtly after Jack finishes up his answer, “so yes, it’s just so we can give Danny-boy here the best damn legs we can. He’s done the hard work and been tough for himself and all of us. We’re more than eager to do what we can to get him the rest of the way to what qualifies as normal for us Fenton’s”. 

Now that, Lewis absolutely does grin at, and thankfully, so does Danny. Maddie also gives Jack an incredibly sweet smile, though a little teary-eyed. Lewis waits for the moment to pass, like he was taught to, before responding, “as a doctor, I couldn’t ask for better. Healing is always the end goal, and a return to normalcy or managing the permanent symptoms should always be the main focus”. Lewis finishes off his plate, while they nod at him, before he leans forward again and makes eye contact with Maddie. Well aware she’s the one more likely to be genuinely bothered by this. “Now I know the answer you likely want to your question is ‘no’, but it’s not. However, I am without a doubt certain that his Core is the only reason he survived at all”. 

Lewis thinks he might have fucked up when they both go wide-eyed and look a little freaked. Was he too blunt? That would track for him. Or likely he shouldn’t have given away that he knew _exactly_ what was in Danny’s chest. 

Jazz can tell Danny would be facepalming if that wouldn’t be insanely suspicious right now. And Lewis is making a very forced comforting smile...and he was doing so good too. So she speaks up, attempting to salvage the situation and explain why Lewis knows something he absolutely should not, “doctors are pretty curious people, he let slip he saw a ball of energy when I ran into him while he was getting some coffee”, now that everyone’s attention is firmly on her, she continues, “I remembered reading about Cores from one of your guys' books”, tilting her head and making a show of looking like she’s trying hard to rack her brain for memories, “pretty sure I found it laying open on the ground when I was helping Danny clean a while ago. There’s was something written about brain-like qualities so it sparked my curiosity”, righting her head, “so I satisfied Lewis’s curiosities and worry over his patient”. 

Maddie blinks, more than a little baffled, sounding a bit incredulous but not mean, “and you didn’t think to tell us?”, before giving Lewis the exact same incredulous look. 

Lewis puts up a hand and makes pacifying motions, “it wasn’t and, currently isn’t, posing minor or major health risks. So I’m not obligated, and am actually recommended against, disclosing that information to anyone other than the patient. Especially if I, or anyone else, suspects that disclosing such information would put the patient at risk. Especially when dealing with minors”, Lewis a bit belatedly realises that sounds like he’s accusing them of something, so he adds, “and considering the situation with those government agents I definitely do not regret my decision. The last time I involved a loved one, prior to and without explicit consent from, the patient, three people almost died. One of whom being me”. 

Maddie nods rather apologetically, clearly agreeing with his reasoning. While Jack tilts his head and nods, “yeah, the last time we went ahead without everyone’s approval Vladdie nearly died”. Maddie looks to him, “that one was all on you dear”. Jack just nods sheepishly. While Danny restrains a snort, because someone damn well did die from that; just only kinda. 

Jazz smiles with a slight shake of her head and gives her reasoning for not telling, “and me, I had a lot of other things on my mind. Which definitely took precedence”. 

Maddie looks completely pacified by that, “okay, I understand”, looking to Jack who nods, “we understand”. Of course no one is going to question why Danny didn’t think to inform his parents, he was healing and resting. Him getting better and being comfortable was far more important than him explaining things. Maddie and Jack both feeling somewhat sure that Danny didn’t know about this before the...accident. Considering that It’s inside of him and not even physically touchable, they think him not knowing is fairly reasonable. 

No one says anything for a bit, until Jack decides that everything has been a little too serious and that silence does not suit him at all. So he looks to Lewis and asks, “so that sure must have startled you huh?”.

Lewis tilts his head and hums questioningly before answering, “his Core? Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen everyone in the OR pause at something before. Not the weirdest thing I’ve seen in someone before though. Not by a mile. And it’s not like It impeded my work”. 

Maddie is a bit thrown at Dan just being...nearly completely unfazed. Maybe it was because he hadn’t known what It was at the time? So his brain had already sectioned It off as ‘weird but not too weird’ by the time he did find out? 

While Danny’s seriously wondering just what in all is on Lewis’s ‘weirdest shit in someone’s body’ list. Outside of a freaking alien of course. Lewis answers Danny’s raised eyebrow with, “there was this one time I opened someone up only to find out they had a very illegal and definitely poorly done piggy-back heart operation. Which is when we graft a donor heart onto the patients own heart. Their heart, or hearts really, looked like a patchwork monstrosity. And to top it off, we had a new intern that day, he passed out”. 

Jazz looks to him, “is this normal dinner talk for you?”.

Lewis smirks, “I’ve performed surgeries _at _my dinner table before, more than once”. Danny shrugs, “anything to save a buck I guess”. Lewis gives him a very pointed look at that. Considering the kid was frequently performing surgeries in his own bedroom. 

Maddie forcibly relaxes and finally gets to work finishing her food. Though she can’t help the way her eyes get drawn to Danny’s chest, now that she knows for sure what’s there. He pretty well had something like two hearts himself. Cores were arguably quite similar, not the same, not by a long shot, but still. With that there, it’s no wonder he sets off their equipment. But at least they can modify their current ‘project’ to work _with_ It. She wants to ask questions about It, really talk to Danny about It, but she needs time to just digest the knowledge that It’s really there. That her son has a...ghost Core. He may not be a ghost, but that’s so damn close to being one. But she can’t, she refuses to, make him feel bad about it, make him dislike it. So she’ll sit on her worries and curiosities till she can make damn sure she’ll be able to ask without bothering her son. Hopefully, at least. But there’s one thing she has to know. After cleaning up everyone’s dishes -while pointedly ignoring how Danny’s slouching just enough to hide his chest under the table. Which can’t be comfortable with the braces- and sitting back down, she looks to Dan, “you pretty well said the Core saved Danny, how are you so sure on that?”.

Lewis sighs and just decides to be blunt, not a whole lot of point in downplaying it now. And maybe them understanding just how definitively Danny should be all kinds of extremely dead, will make them like or even appreciate the way Danny’s body is. Should also effectively discourage them from damaging or removing It, thusly resolving one of Danny’s worries. Frowning, because that’s what’s appropriate when discussing how someone should be explicitly dead, especially when said should be dead person is sitting right next to him, “people just can’t survive without lungs or losing more blood than the human body even carries. With the injures he came in with, he should have bled out entirely five or six times over. The only reason I was able to fix most of his bones at all, was because they’re abnormally malleable. That likely also reduced how many breaks and fractures he had as well. Something would have had to have been cushioning his organs from the inside, since nearly all of them should have been crushed. As it was, quite a few were completely unsalvageable; but they weren’t vital ones. The stomach and intestinal perforations alone would kill someone unless treated within minutes. The spinal damage, even though none of it was to his neck, resulted in a complete loss of spinal fluid. Anyone with not even a fifth of his injuries should have died instantaneously”, Lewis keeps going as everyone gapes at him, “my running theory is, his Core basically acted as his own personal specialised EMT. Thickening his blood to reduce bleeding, increasing bone mailability and durability to reduce injuries, absorbing and supplying oxygen in place of lungs, forming protective layers around organs, and converting Its own ectoplasm to make up for the blood loss”, Lewis leans back and smiles to himself before looking Danny over a bit appraisingly, “I’m quite impressed really. It’s an excellent system, and incredibly interesting. I would be curious to see just how far it could be pushed. Of course, that would be completely unethical”. Danny makes a face at him and leans away almost comically, he’s a little too tense to pull off the effect though. 

Jack blinks, alright, so Dan might be a _lot_ weirder than he remembers. Then letting out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding. So Danny’s ghostly -not ghost, because Danny-boy is not a ghost and is very much alive- system could, at least in the short term, take over for Danny’s human systems. And that’s all because of the, his, Core. The central point, the ‘brain’ and ‘heart’ of his ecto-circulatory system. The thing that’s given him the ability to get around of his own power through the tail, kept him breathing, stopped his heart from failing, depleted and sacrificed Its own ectoplasm to sustain his living body. It could have chosen not to, chosen to protect Itself and his ectoplasm instead. Could have let him die and become a ghost, which surely would make It stronger and no longer have to deal with the living and thus foreign body systems. Because all ectoplasm has a level of sentience. But It didn’t do that. He owes that Core, Danny’s Core, his son’s life. They _all_ do. He wants to hug It. Promptly jumping up and pulling Danny out of his chair as well by embracing him in a hug that’s probably a little too tight, and probably also startling him based on him going rigid for a second there; could be a result of the braces though. Jack blurting out, though making a point to keep his voice more soft, “I would hug your Core if I could, but we’ll all have to settle for this”. 

Danny’s using up most of his will power to stop from tearing up, but eventually he manages to pat his dad on the side, “I think, It gets, the point, dad”. 

Jack immediately let's go, not really even noting how Danny just stays floating just below Jack’s eye level, and instead ruffles Danny’s hair, “ah, sorry if that was a little much Danny-boy!”. 

Danny sputters out, “I’m okay, don’t worry”. Having no clue what else to say in this situation. His dad practically just_ thanked a ghost Core._ Directly claimed he wanted to _hug_ something explicitly ghostly. Danny is extremely tempted to pinch or slap himself. 

Lewis hides his smile behind his hands. Jazz doesn’t even bother hiding her small smile. But she does stand up, “alright, I think this has been more than enough excitement, especially mentally and emotionally, for one night”, turning her head, she gapes at the fact that it’s just past one a.m.! “Okay it is _definitely_ time for everyone to go to bed”, looking to Lewis, “you haven’t even put away your bags yet”. Lewis merely shrugs, he didn’t really mind.

Danny and Maddie both nod probably overly eagerly, while Jack turns to Lewis, “just one more question? What’s It look like?!?”. Maddie gives a fond smile while Jazz groans faintly. 

Lewis chuckles, gives Danny a quick raised ‘it cool if I tell’ eyebrow and receives a little slightly wide-eyed nod in return. So Lewis responds while leaving the table and grabbing up his overnight bag, “It’s a very pale blue, impressively cold, glows something fierce, and is impervious to touch”.

Jack tilts his head and mutters as they all head off to bed, “blue and cold huh? Like the ocean, or ice”. 

* * *

Maddie sits on the edge of Danny’s bed, orange morning sunlight lighting up half her face while she looks up to the ceiling for a bit before watching his sleeping face. She’s not surprised she wasn’t able to get much sleep. Jack could sleep though just about anything, but if she was troubled, if her mind was racing or on edge, then she just couldn’t. At least not for long anyway. She’s tempted to pat his head or run her fingers through his hair, but she’s heard him and his friends talk about how he’s a really light sleeper; she’d rather not wake him prematurely. 

Sighing, she’s still not really sure what to do with all of this. She feels...better, about the whole Core situation. Being out of sight makes It a lot easier to ignore and view abstractly. Out of sight, out of mind, right? But that’s also part of the issue. Who knows what else might be going on that she just can’t see? But, in the end, Danny seems fine, okay, happy. If a bit reclusive and skittish. He’s also in that awkward teen phase, but that’s normal. So he’s okay, whatever is going on is okay. Not really, but it is okay. Besides, he’s had his strange ecto-contamination for years now. That means he’s had this Core for at least that long. Right? So if It was going to hurt him, It would have by now. So she’s okay with It, which of course means she far more curious than worried now. She also knows Danny to be a rather curious kid, so she doesn’t doubt he and Lewis have talked about this Core. Maybe he already knew everything her and Jack did, possibly even more. Just not on the deeply scientific level of course. Danny didn’t exactly have the grades for that. 

Smiling as he shifts in bed and yawns, “morning sweetie”. Giggling a little as he jerks and snaps his eyes to her, obviously startled. Which Maddie quickly apologises for, “oh sorry, didn’t mean to startle you”.

Danny blinks sleepily before waving her off, “oh it’s fine. You’d think I’d be used to waking up with someone hovering over me”, yawning, “what with how many times that’s happened with Lewis”. Maddie giggles at that, while Danny pushes himself up to be leaning against his headboard, blankets still covering his tail; though it’s pretty easy to see It wiggling around underneath. 

Danny decides to be the one to broach the kind of awkward and unwanted but necessary topic, instead of it getting dropped on him...again, “so, uh, I’m guessing there’s still stuff on your mind from supper? You didn’t really, you know, ask questions, and for either of you guys that’s kind of...weird”. 

Maddie glances at his chest and bites her lip slightly before nodding, “I won’t say I’m not curious sweetie, but it is your body and I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable”. 

Again Danny thinks it’s a little too late for that. “It’s fine. I get it”, shrugging, “it’s not like I didn’t ask Lewis about it when he told me what he saw”, looking around a little awkwardly, “but you, um, probably know more about It than me”. That is a blatant lie and Danny’s knows it. Well okay, his folks probably do know somethings about Cores that he doesn’t. They would have a scientific academic knowledge, possibly in-depth if they’ve been able to really study them. He hopes the fuck not though. Considering all the dissection and what basically amounts to torture, that would require. Whereas his knowledge is more practical, more personal. Said knowledge also nearly froze him to full death though. 

Maddie nods but rubs her neck a little sheepishly, “we really don’t know much about them actually. If you’ve read our theories journal on them, then that’s pretty well all we know”, sighing but giving him a small smile, “learning more would require doing things you kids have made clear you are incredibly not okay with and bothered by. So it’s never felt worth the possible scientific headway”.

Danny raises an eyebrow, but tries to make it look less disbelieving that it feels, “really?”. Of course he’s read their theories books, he needed to know what they were up to and knew. Not just for his own sake and sanity, but for ghosts in general really. And Cores were, are, rather sacred and sensitive. The idea that he effectively kept them from _dissecting any Cores_ was nice. Definitely satisfied his Obsession a bit too. His tail stilling a beat in response, before swishing around again. 

Maddie nods immediately and strongly, “we may love what we do sweetie, and it may be incredibly important work. But family always comes first and will always be far more important”. 

Danny makes a point to smile right away but decidedly says nothing. He’s not really sure how true that is or how deeply that applies. It very well could only truly and prolongedly apply to _human_ family. 

After a bit of silence Maddie pats his head, straightening out a few stray hairs; which Danny makes an annoyed and clearly embraced face over. Before she leans back, “It doesn’t hurt you, does It?”. When Danny instantly shakes his head Maddie continues, “good, I’m glad to hear it”, looking up at the ceiling, “that was my first worry when we came across the idea that you might have this, have a...Core. Along with how it’s even possible, of course”. 

Danny shrugs and glances down at his chest, “can’t say I really understand either”. Because really? Half dead should logically be impossible. Like he’s said to Lewis, what he is is a spit in the face of nature really. A glitch. An error. He’s okay with that, even a little proud really. He was one of mother nature’s genuine problem children. Life and death couldn’t figure out what to do with him so they just threw up their hands and went halfsies. “But I’m okay. It doesn’t bother me and, uh, I don’t really notice It”, chuckling a little awkwardly and knowing she’s going to misinterpret what he’s about to say, “didn’t even know It was there till I was told about It”. Thank you FrostBite.

Maddie nods, so he really hadn’t known. Made sense really. “So you can’t feel It? Your chest doesn't feel different than it used to?”.

Danny's not quite sure how to respond to that. All of him felt different from how it used to. Deciding to risk a level of honesty, “I mean, compared to when I was little, yeah. I guess anyway. Sorta just assumed that was normal though”, shrugging, “so I didn’t think much of it”. And that was very much true. He had just assumed the vibration and fullness in his chest was just because of being half-dead and regular old ectoplasm or some shit. And ghosts were cold, so the coldness there seemed like something that must be a normal ghost thing. Though his folks didn’t even know about Cores when he accidentally offed himself, so there wasn’t any reason to even think something was up. Besides, the acting up powers, paranoia, and ghost fighting was way more noticeable. And now it was just like having a heartbeat, he never really noticed his Core doing Its thing unless he focused on It or It was having issues, of course. 

Maddie nods, it made sense. Especially with how Danny adjusted so easily to the tail. He seemed to hardly notice that and that was constantly visible and touchable. “Well if It doesn’t bother you then It’s okay. What’s It feel like though?”. She makes a damn point to keep her tone more motherly than scientific or professional. 

Danny’s a tiny bit thrown. Just flat-out acceptance, Ancients this conversation was less awkward than revealing the tail. Probably because she couldn’t see It, or had the time to think over the whole ‘Danny has a ghost Core’ situation. “Good. That’s... good”, shifting around a little, “I don’t really want It being, err, messed with. So rather not have you guys, you know, poking around at It”, shuffling a bit more and tilting his head to focus his awareness in on his Core. There wasn’t really any harm in satisfying simple curiosity, hopefully anyway, “I’m pretty used to It now, so It’s kinda just, like, background noise. But It kinda vibrates and, uh, makes my chest feel fuller than the rest of me. I think? And there’s this coldness to It too”. 

Maddie nods, so It was probably an Ice Core then. Pale blue and cold. Blinking, well that certainly explained his colder body temperature! Likely gave him a heightened cold tolerance as well. But hot weather, “does heat bother you? If It’s cold, It might not do well with higher temperatures. Ice doesn’t exactly do well in warm weather”. 

Danny shakes his head, not wanting her to worry, “oh no, I think It keeps me cool in warm weather”, chuckling slightly before clearing his throat awkwardly, “Sam and Tuck sort of use me like their personal ac when it’s really hot. But well, It does seem to vibrate more, so I think It works harder or something”. Shrugging and fiddling with the blanket some.

Maddie chuckles with a shake of her head. An adult would certainly notice that as being weird, but teens think nothing of it. “I think I agree It’s working harder. So really you should try to keep yourself cooler, overworking It might not be the healthiest thing”.

Danny mumbles, “you’re starting to sound like Lewis”. Though honestly, hearing her put his health first was nothing short of relieving. 

"Well then he’s right! You should care about your health. Especially right now”.

Danny groans exaggeratedly, “I’m fine”. Deciding to use the usual deflection tactic, “and you guys can make the CyberSteps work better now, right? So things will be back to normal soon. The Fenton kind of normal anyway”. Blinking and coming upon a slight worry, “but um, you’re not going to try and use my Core to fuel them though, are you?”.

Maddie can tell from Danny’s definitely slightly worried face, and the way he moves his arms to block her view of his chest a little, that he would really not be okay with that. Likely feeling some level of protective instincts towards It... like a ghost would. So it’s a good thing she vetoed that idea right out of the gate, “no we’re not sweetie. We don’t know enough about the functions of Cores to risk doing that. The new prototype just works _with_ It rather than ignoring It. See, what we think been going wrong is that your...Core was overcompensating for the ectoplasm the CyberSteps were taking out and cycling as fuel. Because It was seeing the depletion of ectoplasm as foreign and unnatural. So we just have to make sure It wouldn't think the drain was unnatural”. 

Danny tilts his head, huh, that actually made a fair amount of sense and it did mean the CyberSteps would not actually be interacting with or affecting his Core really. Smirking slightly, “so you’re tricking It? Kinda like placebo pills? Well here’s hoping that works then”.

Maddie nods, “pretty sure Jack’s talking Dan’s ear off about that”, checking the time, “you good for breakfast now? It would be ready in about forty minutes”.

Danny nods, and him seriously hoping Lewis doesn’t reveal a bunch about his Core keeps him from really reacting to the ‘Dan’ name. “Yeah sure, that’s fine”. 

Maddie worries her lip a little, watching the top of his tail flick out from under his blankets. Leaning over and giving a quick pat, it was best she get as used to this as she can really. The Core too. But Danny, he’d learned he had ghost organs and formed ghost limb. Even if he was so oddly okay with it, Core’s fault or not, it must still be strange. Still worry him at least a little. Make him wonder over just _how_ ghostly he was. Like she and Jack do somewhat. Leaning back and ruffling his hair, but he wasn’t like them; sure he was ghost tolerant and a bit strange sometimes, but he wasn’t remotely violent or emotionless. “You know having this, the Core and that ghostly tail-”, Maddie gestures down loosely towards Danny’s tail under the blanket before continuing, “it won’t make you evil or anything, it won’t get rid of your emotions or destroy them or anything”. Maddie pats at his tail gently to emphasise her point. The fact that he hadn’t lost any emotions or become even slightly cruel was proof enough of that to her. And maybe, just maybe, his Core will be able to hold onto his emotions and kindness and transfer them to him as a ghost. 

Danny, realising that this is probably something to do with all the conversations with Lewis, so choosing to lean into her bigotry a little bit, “your theories would suggest otherwise, you know”, shrugging a little bit and looking around before rubbing his neck, “you guys have always said that ghosts are evil malicious emotionless things”, shrugging again, “so logically, right, if that’s the case then having this”, Danny phases his tail through the blankets and gestures at It loosely, trying to not make it look like he’s banking a lot on this conversation, “should, according to hunter theory, make me less emotional and good”, patting at his chest lightly and looking away from her, “but it won’t. Because...because ghosts aren’t emotionless evil monsters”. Danny holds his breath, not that he really needs to breathe in the first place, while he waits on his mom. 

Maddie sighs, not entirely sure how to approach this. Ghosts _have_ to be the evil empty post-human ectoplasmic manifestations their research has shown them to be. That they, the experts, have said they are. Don’t they? She doesn’t want to lie to him but at the same time, Lewis _was right_. And Danny, here and now, _was right_. At least in the regard that labelling ghosts outright, out loud, as these abominable villainous things, absolutely is bad for Danny. Is basically damning him, both in dealing with this tail and knowing about the...Core...but also in his eventual future as a ghost. So what is she supposed to _say_ here? And really isn’t this exactly the kind of thing, the kind of push, her and Jack need to really truly reassess everything? Beyond just guessing at there possibly being ‘needed ghosts’? Or spirits as Jack’s been calling them. Do it with Danny in mind? Maybe look at all these ghosts as if they were looking at Danny’s ghost? Because Danny was certainly tricky and with what he did to those damn agents, justified as it was, was manipulative and even a bit cruel. If she’s honest. Shaking her head slightly, this doesn’t solve the current issue, this doesn’t tell her what to tell him. Glancing at him, he was firmly ignoring looking at her. Maybe understanding she needed to think for a bit. His grip on the bed is enough to make his braces creak slightly, so obviously he _does_ care what she says. So this does mean something. There’s a wrong answer. Something tells her that what she’s pretty sure is the truth, is an answer he’ll see as the wrong one. But still, what does she _say_? She doesn’t have the answer to that. To her own question. And possibly, maybe, not even to his either. Sighing she decides to give the most deeply honest answer she can think of and just stop thinking too hard about it for now, “I don’t know, Danny. I really don't”. 

Danny smiles, apparently that was a good answer, how she’s not sure. While Danny nods and looks up at his ceiling, ghostly tail swishing around lazily, “I remember you guys helping to put these all up. The stars”. He didn’t want to upset her and she was probably still reeling from learning about his Core. Might be better to just let her sit on everything for a while. Or be gentler with it.

Maddie nods and gives a soft smile, “yeah, you pointed out how exactly they were supposed to look”, laughing a bit more genuinely, “Jack had to keep removing them and sticking them back up till it was just right”. 

Danny chuckles and nods before pointing at one particular constellation, “there’s Leo, the lion. You know, that one tells the story of a massive lion. A monster eating everything in his path without care. Until Hercules slew the beast, wore Its skin as a robe”, Danny chuckles, “I’m sure if you looked at Hercules the right way you could mistake him for the lion. But of course the lion’s just a myth. The lion being some_ emotionless cruel monster_, is just part of a nice story”, Danny looks at Maddie and speaks with meaning he hopes she gets, “real lions, though dangerous, are nothing like that”. 

Tilting his head, “you know, a friend once said people often villainize that which we don’t understand and what differentiates too much from us to feel comradery towards”, chuckling to himself, “I’m not sure you can get much different than alive and dead”. Of course that put his half-dead ass in a weird position. 

Maddie blinks at him, maybe Danny really _could_ relate or understand ghosts better because of this. “I’m not sure if that applies here or to ghosts, Danny”, worrying her lip again, “do... do you think that maybe you, because of this...Core, understand ghosts differently or better or maybe relate more or the comradery thing?”.

Danny moves his tail to play with the end a bit, debating if he should risk more honesty here or not. He didn’t want her to think he was anymore ghostly than she obviously already did. His mom speaks up again, probably picking up that he’s not to keen to point out that the answer was ‘yes’. “It’s fine if you do”, very noticeably glance at his chest, “with that in there, it would make sense if you did. Seems almost impossible that you wouldn’t be a bit mentally different”, moving her hand near his tail and pleasantly surprised he moves part of it into her palm without any further prompting. Both of them watching It shedding off ectoplasm, which coils over her fingers before misting off into the air; unable to get absorbed through her jumpsuits anti-ecto material. “And it would explain you adjusting to this and forming it so easily”. 

Danny nods mostly to himself, okay it would probably actually be less suspicious and problematic to agree and be slightly honest. “Yeah I guess that would make sense”, shrugging like he doesn’t really care, “and my thinking is just my thinking. I don’t really know how normal or not it is”, and wasn’t that the truth? He had zero clue how much like a human vs ghost he thought and behaved. Sure sometimes he could tell when he was behaving explicitly ghostly and obviously anything where his Obsession taking the front seat was ghostly thinking. But otherwise? He could only make guesses. Rubbing at his neck and chuckling awkwardly, “I mean, I _know_ I think and see things different than when I was little, but no one thinks the same as they did as kids”. 

Maddie nods, patting at his tail before pulling her hands away to hold in her lap. He was right really. It would make sense that he couldn’t tell if his mind worked differently, it wasn't like anyone could easily or truly compare their mind to someone else’s. “Well I guess if It has, then It has”, nodding a bit strongly, “and your dad’s right, It did save you. Altering your mind a little, is a fine trade-off for you still being alive”, running her hand through her hair and trying again, she knows it can take a bit for her occasionally skittish son to open up, “so if that also makes you understand ghosts differently, the way they think better; me and your father would be willing to listen”. 

Danny blinks at her, she had obviously been thinking over the shit he said while his ectoplasm was losing its metaphorical mind and using his veins as a race track. They’d never really been willing to listen to him or Jazz’s ‘opinions’ before -unless it was something they were really bothered by, apparently- and pretty much always just brushed them off as being ‘naive teenagers’. He can’t really help bitterly grumbling, “never did before”. 

Maddie sighs and cringes slightly, “I know sweetie, but you’re just kids and we’re experts; probably the best there is. But-”, gesturing over him, “-this is all things we’ve never seen before and never thought possible. Phantom’s much the same. And Dan made a pretty good point that there might -probably is- different kinds of ghosts that we never even considered. So clearly we don’t know as much as thought we did”.

Danny seriously resists saying ‘duh’ to that. Instead nodding, “okay. Don’t know what to tell you though. Ghosts are just ghosts to me. They’re just people but without heartbeats and with powers”, shrugging awkwardly. 

Maddie ruffles his hair, which Danny screws his face up over, “that’s fine, I guess we’ll just try asking you or listening. First we need to get your... legs working, that’s something else we all have to get used to”.

Danny shrugs, “time will do that I think, though yeah, there’s already enough going on”, Danny groaning and tilting to the side a little, “I haven’t even _started_ on my catchup work yet”. Making her giggle a little. 

Maddie gets up, “I’m pretty sure your teachers will just be happy to get _any_ homework from you”, and giving him a pointed look before relaxing and smiling. Walking over to the door and picking up the hover cushion, she needed something of a distraction and he probably did too; if that catchup work comment was anything to go by, “you think you’re up for trying to get around on the tail today? You won’t get better at it if you don’t practice. Course we’ll keep this close by just in case”, patting the hover cushion. 

Danny has to make a point to not nod overly eagerly, not just because he goddamn _loved _flying but also because it was drastically more convenient and comfortable than the hover cushion. Plus he damn well did not need the ‘help’ and using it did annoy his ghost side a little. Huh, well there’s a bit of his ghostly mind making itself known. 

Maddie throws him another smile before heading downstairs to check in with Jack and get started on breakfast. Leaving Danny just enough time for a (very)quick -and suitably distracting- morning patrol/fly. Popping into the team Phantom chat beforehand though:

_Dpain: fw have gotten to know the Core of me. Haven’t been gifted a frying pan_

_Dpain: all gain no pain_

Danny chuckles down at his phone as he invisibly flies out the window.

_Nightshade: ‘no pain’ it’s a fucking miracle_

Danny makes quick work of a few smaller ghosts, firmly enjoying releasing a bit of his pent up ectoplasm. And he manages to spot that new police officer from New York, giving the guy a friendly salute and pleasantly surprised at the guy raising his coffee cup in a salute right back. Maybe he’s going to like this new cop, he’ll have to scoop the guy out another time though. Make sure there’s nothing fishy about him and learn who, exactly, he is. 

Flying back in through his window and attempting to pop his tail back to legs like he always does, before facepalming and muttering, “right, forgot”. Though he nearly chokes when he checks his phone again, just as he was going to head downstairs.

_Thedocfriend: I’m pretty sure I get what that means. And you damn well better not be in pain. _

_Dpain: wh._

_Dpain: I’d say whom the fuck but obvious _

_Dpain: also that’s an awful name_

Danny shakes his head as he pointedly ignores that his folks are very obviously trying to make a damn point not to stare at him floating into the kitchen; tail waving behind him lazily. Sending Lewis a slight ‘what the fuck’ glare as he sits down. Intentionally wobbling in the air a little, and checking his phone when the notification goes off. 

_PDAxpda: dude knows_

_PDAxpda: and he called my damn pda_

_PDAxpda: but yes that is an awful name. We’re supposed to be covert doctor dude_

_Nightshade: you mean we make vague and marginally successful attempts at something possibly called covert _

_Dpain: we do a good job _

_PDAxpda: says the guy who shouts his catch phrase in crowds _

_Nightshade: backflips off cars _

_PDAxpda: shouts his catch phrase next to family members_

_Nightshade: uses abilities publicly_

_PDAxpda: shouts his catch phrase in front of news reporters _

_Dpain: youre just jelly _

_Dpain: speaking of jelly it’s time I crunch the munch _

_Nightshade: why are you like this _

Danny snorts as he turns off his phone, before looking around the table and blushing slightly. His mom giggling at him slightly as they all get to eating.

* * *

About halfway through breakfast, Lewis finds himself wondering if mealtimes are just completely cursed in the Fenton house. When his phones goes off with Eddie’s personalised ring tone, and Lewis puts the phone to his ear only to be instantly greeted by Eddie’s -definitely drunk- voice saying,_ “-will kiss this knife if I want to goddamnit! Oh shit, hi, didn’t really think you’d pick u-oh shut it, eight isn’t too fuckin-well if you’d stay outta my brain square-I’ve decided it’s a square so it’s a bloody square-”._

Lewis eats a bit of the hash browns and peppers, “I mean, arguably, we decide who we are and our minds can change the way we look to ourselves. So you feasibly could convince yourself it was, in fact, square”. 

_“See Dan gets it. Dan gets it because he’s just the best. A plus person. Right and rain and shit. Oh shit yeah right, fuck, alright, I got this-Oh go fuck yourself bitch-I do not!-Fuck, okay Dan. I have, like, a lot of knives right now”._

Lewis restrains a sigh, “are they in you?”. Eddie makes some kind of pathetic sounding grunting noise that Lewis is taking as confirmation, “and why are they still in?”.

_“Smiley Face”._

“Uh-huh”, Lewis replied with the kind of tone one would reserve for children when they tell stories in gibberish. 

“Okay, look-no shut up, it’s not stupid-see I got stabbed a few times, right?-”.

Lewis raises an eyebrow and cuts him off, “only a few times?”.

There’s shuffling and another grunt,_ “okay, if Vee hadn’t removed most of ‘em, I’d look like a fuckin’ pincushion right now. Which is funny right? Cause Vee, the utter babe-you fuckin’ heard me-they turns people into pincushions-”._ Danny makes a face at this, which makes Lewis realise Danny _absolutely_ can hear the whole ass conversation. While Eddie continues rambling, _“-but my leg is a very particu? partici? Whatever the fuck-THE WORD IS PARTICULAR EDDIE”._

Danny seriously restrains a jerk at what he assumes is Vee’s voice, because he’s pretty sure human vocal cords can not sound like that. It’s definitely a few steps past demonic, at least over the phone anyway; not that Phantom’s voice didn’t so sound straight demonic over regular phones. While Lewis speaks up, “oh hey Vee. Care to explain? And you should probably sober him up a little”.

_“What? No? My Dan the man story time-THEN GET TO THE POINT-I ain’t moving shit!-THE KNIVES MADE A SMILEY FACE AND NOW HE’S THINKING ABOUT YOU-shush shush shhhhhh. It’s just, fuck, you know you smile at me so much. No one does it half as much-EXCUSE YOU BITCH-You don’t count babe-CARE TO REPHRASE BEFORE I REMOVE YOUR LIVER INSTEAD OF CLEANING IT”. _

“That would make him more drunk, so I’d prefer if you didn’t do that”, Lewis eats a few more pieces, “and that’s very sweet, Eddie bud. You going to be okay though?”. 

_“Oh yeah totally. Vee’s workin’ on fully reacquainting my leg with my body, but otherwise it’s happy stabby time”. _

Lewis coughs at that and puts down his fork, “don’t you think you should have started with that? Do they know where everything’s supposed to go?”.

_“WE HAVE STUDIED, WE KNOW WHERE THE MUSCLES GO-I got hit by a semi Dan! Came outta nowhere!-WE WERE DISTRACTED-Who drives a semi through their creepy abandoned murder warehouse? I mean honestly- DESTROYED SOME PERFECTLY GOOD SNACKS”. _

“Yeah, I imagine roadkill isn’t exactly edible”.

Danny grumbles, “I am very rapidly losing my appetite”, while glaring at Lewis’s phone. Jazz just nods agreeingly. Jack, like usual, is so focused on the food that he doesn’t honesty mind. 

_“Also totally stuck here. Cause, fuck, my bike is fuck knows where. And I ain’t about to just fucking crawl home-PUSSY-Go eat a horseshoe. So I just fuckin’ raided these guys liquor. Who the fuck picks Carnaby’s Gin as their murder dens drink of choice?”._

Lewis nods a little, acknowledging that’s pretty shitty, “that is honestly rather sad. Why doesn’t Vee just take you two home?”.

_“EDDIE WON’T BUY THE CHOCOLATE COVERED FRUITS!-they’re overpriced racket!-BUT CHOCOLATE COVERED EDDIE!”._

Lewis hums slightly, “they are overpriced”. While Danny leans over and decides to add his two cents, “just tell them to _leg _it home”. 

Lewis moves the phone away from his ear a bit as Vee does what qualifies as truly yelling for them, _“WE ARE DOWN ONE AND WORKING ON IT!-Jesus fuck!”_, followed by clattering sounds. 

Danny snorts, “better one than none”, before looking around and rubbing his neck awkwardly.

_“Oh shit Dan, you with a patient? The dead one? Shit that’s probably, like, suuuuuuuuupper insulting. Eh fuck it, ain’t nobody ever said I’m not a jackass-THIS IS WHY PEOPLE KEEP TRYING TO KILL US EDDIE-I dunno love, might have something to with tryin’ to kill ‘em. Wait shit, your dead guy, crap, undead guy? Whatever. I didn’t, like, kill ‘im or some shit? Wait wait wait never mind. Never killed no kid. Plus he’s like what? Five thousand years old?-”._

Eddie just keeps rambling as Lewis slowly looks at Danny and gives him an incredibly dumbfounded look. Why the Hell would Eddie think that? What kind of research has he even been doing to think Danny’s _that old_? And how the Hell did Danny manage to mislead an _investigator_ that badly without even doing anything? Especially one that is not going to overlook weird. Danny simply smirks. But Lewis is _interested_ and Eddie’s okay, well, okay by their standards. Interrupting Eddie, who was pretty much just arguing with Vee about the merits of zombie flesh during the apocalypse, “Eddie, go drink some water. And trust me, he takes no offence”.

Danny snickers, “when you get home make sure you _rest_aurant in peace, I sure as shit can’t. Could even make a date of it, ‘cause who said romance is _dead_. And I’m sure that semi must have made you _tired _and you could use some _killer_ food”. 

Lewis laughs into his hand when Eddie responds with, _“you know what, I don’t think I’m drunk anymore. DID YOU HIT AN ALCOHOL **DEAD-END**. Oh what the fuck-”. _

Lewis looks down at his phone, unsure if Eddie actually meant to hang up. Then looking to Danny, “I think you just corrupted them”, Danny looks far too smug and Lewis feels just a small amount of horror. Vee already made some pretty bad and painful jokes, that ‘turd in the wind’ bit for example. Who knows what they’re going to pick up from all of Danny’s combat footage alone. 

Danny makes Lewis just a little bit more worried by responding with,“I’ll find them a pamphlet with some truly _tearable_ puns”. 

Jazz leans back in her chair, “oh my Zone, Danny. Please stop torturing our house guest”, before getting up and going to grab everyone’s plates. 

Danny smirks, “you can always count on me for a bad joke, just only up to ten”. Danny wiggles his fingers as much as the braces will let him. While Jazz glares at him, taking his plate a bit aggressively, “that one was weak”.

Maddie raises an eyebrow at Lewis after thanking her daughter, “another patient of yours? Or friends? They sound like they must be a real character”. 

Danny restrains a snort, that was a bit of an understatement, clearly. While Lewis laughs a little, “yeah they sure are. They’re friends though. Good ones”.

Danny then gets a, slightly mischievous, idea. Grabbing up his phone and texting Tucker directly. 

_Ghost: I’ve got got a vague ass job for you. Hack docs phone and track the most recent call. Hack that phone and erase the location shit. Replace it with ‘try again’ or ‘I’m not that old’ or some shit _

_Geek: for what profit, your highness_

_Ghost: for SpookPoints and the standard increase in our trickster stats, my loyal knight_

_Ghost: and some of docs baking _

_Ghost: seriously that shit is to die for _

_Geek: sold_

_Geek: your highness _

Danny nudges Lewis, “do they even know where you are? Why’d they call you?”.

Lewis resists shaking his head, did Danny’s paranoia ever take breaks? “They don't know what town I’m in, but they know I’m out of town for a while. That was his way of getting medical advice and a pain distraction”. 

Jazz raises an eyebrow, “does your friend get stabbed -because that’s what it sounds like happened- a lot?”

“Occupational hazard”. 

Maddie and Jack share a Look, more than a little familiar with getting hurt on the job or in the pursuit of knowledge. Maddie asking, “what do they do?”. 

“They’re something of a muckraker. Investigating and exposing the dirty underbelly of politicians, pharmaceutical companies, the wealthy elite, illegal experimentation, etcetera. Sometimes they do undercover work as well. To say they’ve pissed off a lot of very dangerous and very powerful people is a bit of an understatement”, Lewis tilts his head, “honestly, from the sounds of it, they probably got abducted again. That would make about seven so far this year”. 

Jack and Danny both look rather impressed while Maddie and Jazz gape. Jazz blinks after a while and shakes her head, responding after grabbing her stuff for school, “I’ll reiterate, get them into therapy. The real kind”. Lewis only chuckles to himself as she walks out the door. 

* * *

Lewis gets up and stretches after finishing off his coffee, and seeing that Danny’s done his as well. Looking to Maddie and Jack, “is the next version of the prosthetic prototype ready to be tested? Or can be soon? I’d much rather have something possibly go wrong and damage Danny’s bandaging or braces _before_ I change them out, rather than after”. 

Danny rolls his eyes a little, “I feel called out”.

Lewis smirks, though he doesn’t look to him, “truth hurts”. At least when Eddie needed wrappings he’d actually rest and let himself heal. Usually he didn’t mess up Lewis’s work. When he did it was usually because someone picked a fight with him, not because he ran into a battle or fucked it up himself. 

This gets Jack jumping up and bounding down the stairs. Sure he hadn’t gotten up as early as his wife had, but if college had taught him one thing, it was how to run off of only a few hours of sleep in the name of his passion; and his kids were absolutely his greatest passion. Ghosts being his second. And Danny-boy has basically combined those two loves into one! So he had been absolutely eager to spend the early morning hours slaving away in the lab. Making slight changes and beginning to prep the CyberSteps conductor and timer connection zones and ports. Course he wouldn’t connect anything without Mads second opinion and keener eyes. He knew she had gone to bed troubled, and her sleep had not been much more peaceful, but after her talk with Danny-boy she seemed a bit renewed. Told him about Danny’s Core definitely being comprised of ice ectoplasm. Which means the coolant he’d made on a hunch so the legs wouldn’t become too warm, the average human body temperature was probably too warm, was a good idea. So that had been promptly integrated into the CyberSteps as well. Mads had a few changes to make to the conductor and timer. Even the connection ports. But he had managed to get everything attached by the time Mads had called for breakfast. 

Maddie sends Lewis and Danny a smile, “it’s all set up to go, but we haven’t test run it with the ecto batteries quite yet”, looking to Danny, “why don’t you try practicing with your tail in the living-room in the meantime?”. 

Lewis perks up, “I could come up with some exercises he could do. We usually do recommend patients utilise them as part of their recovery”, Lewis gives Danny a smile that’s just a little bit cruel. Watching footage of the kid wasn’t quite the same as examining in person. While Maddie gives a bright smile and nods eagerly, “that’d be wonderful, Dan. Thank you”. 

Danny rubs his neck awkwardly while his mom heads down to the lab, this was so unnecessary and something in Lewis’s eyes makes him feel like the guy’s absolutely going to make him do show pony tricks or some shit. 

Lewis claps his thighs after a bit, “well now, let’s see just what that tail of yours can do”.

Danny mumbles, “and suddenly I feel fear”, while floating out of his chair and following Lewis to the living-room.

* * *

Danny is absolutely a bit creeped out at Lewis’s appraising look and the delighted intrigued twinkling in his eyes, while Danny does laps and loops through the air. 

Lewis following Danny’s flight with his eyes while tapping his chin, “so your tail really does elongate and smooth out when you go faster. It can be a bit hard to tell in footage. The streamlining would certainly help with speed. Say, how fast, about, can you go?”, tilting his head, “zigzag around some, sharper turns”. 

Danny grunts while taking a hard right around the couch, “you’re seriously abusing your doctor privileges”, dipping under the table and swirling around a leg pole, “been a while since we’ve checked. But last time Tuck whipped out the radar gun on me, my top speed was 112. That was a bit over a year ago. I’m definitely faster now”. 

Lewis shrugs, “the job has it’s perks”, watching how Danny’s tails always stayed curved on the turns rather than moving at sharp angles, “can you make the bends to your tail more angular? Or are they always rounded? And I imagine you’re stronger in general than you used to be. Think the increase in speed is just from practice and use, or from being stronger? It’s likely both, but what’s your thoughts on the matter”. 

Danny pauses in the air and tilts his head, “never really thought about that doc. My turning speed and timing is definitely practice. Stopping speed too. General speed is probably a power thing”, flipping onto his back and flying around a bit more lazily but making his tail zigzag sharply a little, “I know my powers increased a lot. Started out with an ecto-level around seven, now I’m a solid fifteen. It would probably get bumped up to nineteen if I claimed my crown. Depending how it reads the crowns affects anyway”, Danny snickers and narrowly avoids crashing into a wall with a sharp turn, “might just read error actually”. 

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, Danny has some impressive spacial awareness yet seemingly sucked at dodging, “why don’t you dodge more? And fifteen out of what?”, walking forward a bit as Danny flies low to the ground and behind him, “you’ve just over doubled in power in just two years? Is that normal? And I don’t really have anything to compare your ‘ecto-level’ to, so the numbers don’t really carry any weight for me. Also, how can you read as ‘error’? Why would a crown even increase your power? And I’ll admit, rather forgot about the whole Prince situation”. 

Danny chuckles and shakes his head, “you know, you’re a really curious guy”, waving him off, “and don’t worry, I forget about that too. Same with dodging actually. Sometimes I’m focused on a pun or I take the hit intentionally to avoid property damages or someone else getting hurt”, doing a few quick donuts, before resting his elbows on the couch and floating about in the air, “the standard FentonWorks patented ecto-level sensors, that all the decent ghost hunters -yes even the G.I.W.- use nowadays, can only scan up to ecto-levels of fifteen. But the high grade one goes up to the max level of thirty. So it’s a zero to thirty ecto-scale”, Danny rubs his neck a bit sheepishly, “I actually helped design and finalise the scale and sensor. So the patent is also in my name too. Surprised they haven’t talked your ear off about that yet”. 

Lewis smirks and just waits on Danny to answer the rest of his questions as Danny starts flying in circles again. He’s definitely going to ask more about this ecto-scale. Danny’s clearly a very smart kid, could plan for emergencies too, and of course his heroics made him unbothered by gore. Not to mention the protective helping Obsession. He’d do well in medical school, so long as he did his homework and actually showed up, of course. 

“All ghosts grow stronger as they mature. But I also fight more than most, so I’ve grown more than most do. Also a halfa thing though. My Core and ghost side don’t have to focus so much on supporting my ghostly body and ectoplasm. And I don’t really have to absorb free-floating ectoplasm for fuel, so it all just goes straight to growing. The other halfas haven’t grown nearly as much or as quickly as me, cause I come into contact with waaaaaay more free-floating ectoplasm and spend more time in the Zone”, Danny shivers a little, this was the reason _Dan _was so strong, was able to reap so much destruction. Frowning, “I'm overpowered really. So I have to watch it to make sure I don’t accidentally really hurt anyone. Friend or foe”. 

Lewis, spotting the tail waving a bit aggressively, can read Danny’s train of thought’s going to make him have a freakout if it contuies. Deciding to preempt that, “and you do a damn good job of that. What about the crown?”, squinting at him a little, “wait, you mean you _actively hold back_ in all these fights you get into? You’d get hurt less and they’d end faster if you didn’t. Hell, you’d probably get less repeat opponents too. _Amity _would likely get attacked less”. 

Danny pauses in the air and stares at him for a beat before transforming into Phantom, seemingly glitching or something, whatever it is it’s hard to look at and definitely can’t feel good, before plummeting to the floor with an audible thud. Lewis cursing and rushing to kneel down and hover a hand over Danny’s shoulder. Entirely unsure what to do as Danny is just, violently glitching and curling in on himself. 

“Danny, can you hear me? What’s going on?”, Lewis grabs out his flashlight when all Danny does is make something like a scratchy whining sound. Flicking it over Danny’s eyes, glad they constrict properly even if it’s really hard to tell past the shaky glitching. He’s also absently a bit curious how his glow -especially his eyes glow- seems to outshine the flashlight's light. 

Okay, so Danny wasn’t totally unresponsive, he was just having some sort of reaction or episode. Lewis gets up and looks around, checking for anything Danny might have come into contact with or that might have reacted with him. That also yielding nothing leaves Lewis just ever so slightly panicked. All he can really do is manage symptoms, symptoms he’s not only never seen before but also never even heard of before. Because they are definitely _not_ human symptoms. If he were to guess, the human body, even Danny’s, can’t even experience this. Hence why he transformed so suddenly. An emergency self-protection response. Well, this could be compared to a grand mal seizure, so Lewis is going to treat it like one and see if that helps. Least with Danny already being on his side, Lewis doesn’t have to bother with that step. Positives.

When Danny just continues glitching after five minutes, Lewis decides he’s just going to have to try random things. But he’s going to leave actually touching Danny as a last option. So he goes and grabs a glass of water, promptly dumping it on Danny’s head, “no? Okay”, Lewis makes a crappy pun, “at least you’re not crying boo-hoo?...okay that wasn’t a very good one”. Deciding this is absolutely the kind of situation where he needs to ask for help, Lewis pulls out his phone and goes into the aptly named Fryin’ ‘n Die-nin’ chat. If Danny’s friends can’t help then he’ll go get Maddie, she’s always been the more scientific level headed one. Ghost form be damned:

_Thedocfriend: he’s glitching _

_Thedocfriend: what do i do with this _

_Thedocfriend: doesn’t look very enjoyable_

_Nightshade: Pan or Fan?_

_Thedocfriend: Pan_

_PDAxpda: like all of him? Well_

_PDAxpda: that’s a new one_

_Nightshade: where is he_

_Thedocfriend: livingro_om floor

Thedocfriend: and all

Lewis glances at Danny, whose face is clearly screwed up in pain, the fact that that’s obvious even though his face is glitching out says a lot. Looking back to his phone:

_Thedocfriend: also not getting any better _

_Nightshade: get him to his room_

_Nightshade: say he tripped and crashed into something _

_Thedocfriend: not screaming though. So positives_

_Nightshade: so you wanted to check his medical shit in privacy_

_PDAxpda: his pain tolerance is whack so he damn well better not be_

_Thedocfriend: I’ve noticed_

Lewis pockets his phone and manoeuvres around Danny. Ending up having to basically drag him up the stairs. Lewis isn’t sure if this would be easier to do with a seizing patient or not, at least Danny’s not flailing or kicking. Though his tail does thrash hard enough into the wall to dent it. So technically he _was_ kicking, just with a tail. 

After getting Danny’s door shut and locked, he pulls his phone out again while Danny starts making some very unpleasant scratchy keening sounds that quickly start verging on painfully high pitched. Part of him wants to just go get Maddie right now, none of these kids have experience with whatever this is. But he has to at least give them a chance, especially considering there’s a very very high chance neither Maddie nor Jack will know what’s going on either. Or have anything that could help. Trying to figure things out with Danny’s friends was not only the better and safer option, but also the one his patient would prefer.

_Nightshade: what was he doing before hand_

_Nightshade: fight?_

_Nightshade: did anything in the house go off_

_PDAxpda: the town isn’t scheduled to test anything and the marching bands not in town_

_Thedocfriend: flying _

_Thedocfriend: talking about ectolevel and started freaking out about his own power. Tried snapping him out of that with a subject change. Then he started glitching_

_Thedocfriend: also, codes are great until you’re trying to communicate with someone who doesn’t know what they mean_

_PDAxpda: doesn’t matter_

_PDAxpda: try plucking one of his hairs out _

_Nightshade: what exactly did you say_

Lewis isn’t going to claim to know why or how plucking out Danny’s hair would help, but he does it anyway; though it takes a few tries to actually grab one, the white strand promptly dissipating into the air. Danny does jerk and the glitching does slow a little, but only for a few seconds.

_Thedocfriend: that did something but not for very long _

_Thedocfriend: asked about why a crown would make him stronger and pointed out that if he went harder in fights town would probably get attacked less_

_Nightshade: pluck his hair every so often it grounds him_

_Thedocfriend: since he said he actually holds back in fights _

_PDAxpda: he doesn’t go hard so he doesn’t badly hurt them_

_PDAxpda: not everyone’s okay with murder dude_

_Thedocfriend: is it though? They’re already dead_

_Nightshade: you idiot _

_Nightshade: fucking zone _

_Nightshade: you gave him an Obsessive Crisis _

_PDAxpda: o_

_Thedocfriend: a what?_

Lewis sighs, so they knew what was going on, it’s just not something that’s happened before. He’s not happy he caused it, but how could he prevent something he’s never heard of? Bending down and plucking another hair, not sure if he should be happy or not over getting the same response. Then looking back to his phone:

_PDAxpda: crap yeah that sounds right _

_PDAxpda: dammit _

_PDAxpda: nothing you can really do then_

_Nightshade: okay listen up_

_Nightshade: so you have two magnets and you’re trying to push them together but the repulsing sides are facing each other so no matter what you do they will not go together because they can not coexist together/touching _

_Nightshade: you’ve posed the question to him that if he goes soft on spookies the town with get hurt_

_Nightshade: but if he doesn’t go soft on the spookies they will get hurt_

_Nightshade: his big O seeks the option that causes the least amount of hurt but neither of the two options cause less or more hurt and he can’t do both_

_Nightshade: the two options are equal and can’t coexist so they’re repulsing each other _

_Nightshade: his big O has basically torn itself in half and the two halves are beating each other up_

_PDAxpda: meaning he won’t get better till one side wins_

_Thedocfriend: all this because of his big O being unsure what it wants? Seriously?_

_PDAxpda: if you understood big O’s it’d make sense_

_Thedocfriend: and the spookies are aggressors, they’re asking for it_

_Nightshade: if the central energy is a spookies heart and ‘plasm their blood, then the big O is their lungs_

_Nightshade: what happens if someone’s lungs stop working properly doctor? _

_PDAxpda: yeah but he’d be hurting the spookies directly if he went harder on them _

_Thedocfriend: point made_

_PDAxpda: by not reducing the number of attacks he isn’t hurting the town directly_

_PDAxpda: that matters _

_PDAxpda: !_

_PDAxpda: the main thing that gets ‘hurt’ by the attacks is things not beings_

_PDAxpda: if he goes harder on spookies the main thing getting hurt would be beings_

_PDAxpda: tell him that_

_Nightshade: for once you have the single brain cell_

_Thedocfriend: is it not better for his big O to resolve this itself? That’s assuming I actually am right on what ‘big O’ means_

_Nightshade: don’t over estimate him_

_Nightshade: is it better for a stroke to resolve itself doctor _

_PDAxpda: you can try that but if it hasn’t yet its probably not going to plus that was just his kind of logic put in simple terms_

_PDAxpda: !_

_PDAxpda: try saying little red bird_

_PDAxpda: little red bird got hurt badly by spookies but would be hurt by there being less of them _

Lewis puts down his phone and stares at Danny a little. He honestly looked worse and he was getting loud enough that surely Maddie and Jack would soon be able to hear. So Lewis plugs his fingers in his ears as he walks to crouch in front of Danny, shouting just a little, “little red bird!”. Lewis raises a slightly curious eyebrow at Danny’s eyes popping open and pupils constricting rather erratically. Though very much thankful for him clacking his jaw and stopping with the keening. Lewis shuffles a little, “the main thing that gets ‘hurt’ by the attacks is things not beings. If you go harder on ghosts, the main thing getting hurt would be beings”. Lewis watches as Danny’s pupils constrict till they're nearly nonexistent before the glitching suddenly stops and he rolls onto his back with a groan. 

Danny puts one of his arms over his eyes, “ow. That was, not fun”. 

“Didn’t look it. You okay now though? And apologies for causing that”. 

Danny nods a bit weakly, “you’re fine doc. Didn’t know”, moving his arm off his face and letting it flop to the ground, “and I'm...alright”. 

Lewis frowns a little as Danny goes to push himself up, it’s jerky and it’s obvious he’s feeling weak, “kid, what did I say about being honest with me about your health”, before lifting Danny up off the floor. 

Danny grumbling, “I said, ‘alright’ not, ‘good’”, but not even bothering to put up a fight as Lewis puts him in his bed. 

Lewis shakes his head and sighs, “they’re interchangeable generally”, grabbing the one chair in the room he’s deemed clean enough to sit on and dragging it next to Danny’s bed before sitting, “can you change back? Or would that be bad for you?”. 

“I honestly don’t know”.

Lewis nods, “fair enough, don’t then. The doors locked, so no one’s going to be barging in”. 

Lewis then has to resist not only sighing but gaping, when a glowing biker drives straight through the wall. Danny does snort a bit weakly though, firmly enjoying the ironic timing. 

Johnny hops off his bike near-instantly, Phantom looked like goddamn _crap_. His cheeks were flushed green, hair wet, his glow was a bit spiked, and his pupils were pinpricks, “kid, you good?”, spotting Lewis and growling, “who the Hell are you. If you attacked his Obsession, we’re gonna have issu-”.

Danny butts in to avoid any possible brawl, he goes to sit up but Lewis puts a hand to his chest to stop him. Danny gives Johnny a soft glare, “Johnny, I’m fine. He didn’t mean to”. 

Johnny glares at Lewis for a beat longer before looking to Danny, “whatever you say, Phantom”, getting back on his bike then throwing another glare at Lewis, before driving off through the wall. 

Lewis blinks and looks to Danny, “I have a lot of questions”. 

Danny smirks a bit weakly, “yeah, I bet”, turning and nodding his head at the wall Johnny just drove through, “Johnny thirteen, fought a few times, not much of a, threat usually. Just drives around. City stopped bothering giving him, speeding tickets. Dated Jazz, sorta”, turning his head to look at Lewis, “I musta, been keening, for him to, come running, like that. Ghostly keening, it has a, ghostly subvocal that, reverberates throughout, the ghost's lair”. 

Lewis nods, “and Amity’s yours. So he heard your keening and came to check on you? Why? I doubt you’re friends. And Jasmine dated a ghost?”. 

Danny chuckles a little, “yeah, she didn’t know. I did. He was using her, to get Kitty, that’s his girlfriend, through the, portal. I beat him up, for that. I’ve dated Kitty. They were having, a lovers quarrel. Johnny’s kinda a jerk. So she used me, to make him jealous. Got ‘em back, together though”, looking to the ceiling with a bit of a frown, “through she wasn’t, with him. So they’re probably, fighting again. Explains why, he’s in town I guess. Blow off steam”, looking back to Lewis, who’s eyebrows were starting to look like they’re trying to leave his face, “most of the ghosts, are friendemies not, purely foes. Like Skulker, he’s the one, that wants to skin me, he makes great pie. Also gifts me, animal meat sometimes, and combat tips. Whenever he makes new, weapons he, will come use them, on me”, Danny shrugs, “I don’t mind. He enjoys it, satisfies his Obsession some. I like fighting, satisfies my Obsession too. It’s a good thing we’ve got going”, chuckling, “anyway, what I’m saying is, very very few of my, opponents actually want to, end me. Or even hurt me seriously. Skulker might though. Maybe. Hard to say. Most of them like me actually. Keening, that means I’m hurting, and hurting bad, on a very base level. Meaning either my Core, Obsession, or very essence, is being hurt. Not even the worst of the worst, attack another ghosts Core, or Obsession. Especially in their own lair. And a ghost or human that does intentionally, will be attacked, without mercy. Or taken before the Observants. It’s another one of those, major no-no’s. And because my lair is here, in the Mortal Realm, and I am currently here while keening, there’d be reason to think, a human was responsible. Especially because I live with, hunters. Ghost hunters knowing how, to effectively attack, Core’s or Obsessions, puts all of us, all ghosts, at risk. Even the Zone Itself. Since the Zone has a, Core”, Danny then slowly gestures to his eyes, “the constricted pupils, give away I had a, Obsessive Crisis. Since you’re here, Johnny assumed you caused it. And since he doesn’t know you, he had reason to think it was, intentional”. 

Lewis nods and leans back in the chair, he could understand why ghosts, in general, would have an issue with ghost hunters being able to do that to them. But why would other ghosts doing it be so bad? At least not asking about how another ghost died makes sense, who the heck would want to be reminded of dying? And attacking them with how they died, that would be like repeatedly forcing PTSD triggers in a persons face. “Why is it such a taboo for a ghost to go after another ghosts Core or Obsession? Ghost hunters I can understand. But it kind of seems like ghosts fight each other a lot, so why be bothered if you’ve gained a slight advantage”. 

Danny makes a face at Lewis and squirms around some, “it, it’s _wrong_, Lewis. It just _is_. The things that are big no-no’s, aren’t just some established laws. Sure, there are laws around them. The Cardinals section, of The Law Of Ages. But they’re just things that are, instinctively wrong”, titling his head, “but for the fighting, specifically, there’s an easy, answer. It would make it an unfair, improper, fight. Humans socialise by dancing, ghosts beat each other up. Most ghost fights are more like sparring. Or establishing social standing. A human with lots of money, or an important job, or fame, or higher education; is generally considered socially above, someone without those, or with less of it. Sure there are other things, like age or having children. But you get my point. Maybe”. When Lewis nods and motions for Danny to continue, he does so, “where as for ghosts. Power, skill in battle, Obsession efficiency, and wit; is what generally gets a ghost, higher social standing. In the Zone, money isn’t a thing. ‘Jobs’ and ‘titles’ are earned, through being powerful enough, to take it or deathright. Fame has very little worth. Education isn’t even something, that’s actually taught. So if you pound someone’s face in. You are above them but can, also be viewed as an equal. Really depends. But abusing something, like their Obsession, or going for their Core, is like cheating. Unsportsmanlike. Oh yeah, age can matter a lot. If you’re an old ghost anyway. If you stick around long enough, to become an Ancient, then you must be important or, powerful enough to have survived. Halfas are a little different in that regard, being nigh-indestructible. That pretty well equals existing long enough, to become an Ancient”. Danny gives a curt nod, fairly satisfied with himself. 

Lewis blinks, “so ghosts are very much power-hungry then. And your ghost social standing must be really high then”. Lewis glances to his phone quickly, realising the two teens would probably want to know Danny’s okay now.

_Thedocfriend: he’s fine now_

_Thedocfriend: in bed_

_Nightshade: good _

_PDAxpda: good luck keeping him there long enough to actually recover_

_Thedocfriend: we’re chatting. So he’s staying put_

“Yeah, all ghosts are. Me included, though I keep a, lid on it. And yes, technically I have one of the highest, social standings but, social standing doesn’t, really mean much. Ghosts are solitary mainly, not social”.

Lewis looks back up and spots Danny’s curious raised eyebrow, waving his phone, “I asked those friends of yours for advice, just letting them know you’re fine now”, Lewis leans forward some, “I’m not even slightly surprised you don’t feed your power hunger much. All things considered. And speaking of social standings, back to what we were talking about earlier. You never did answer me about the crown questions”.

Danny mumbles under his breath, “they are so going to, bug me about this, later”, before looking back to Lewis and blushing green slightly, “remind me?”.

Lewis chuckles, “I was wondering how taking this crown could make you stronger, or make you show as an error on ecto-level sensors”. 

Danny blinks and nods, thinking his words out a bit and recovering enough to not feel quite so exhausted, “right right. It’s because of the main property of the very specific crown and ring, that comes with the throne and title of High Ghost King. Now since power functionally determines social standing, and High Ghost King is _the _highest standing possible. Only makes sense they’d have to be the most powerful”, Danny shrugs a bit, “the Zone makes sure of that through the Crown of Kings and the Ring of Rulers. The ring actually changes names based on the King. When worn by Pariah, it became the Ring of Rage. Considering he was a tyrant who floated around destroying things. You could probably figure out why. Crowns usually just called Crown of Fire. Since it is, y’ know, on fire”, Danny snickers slightly before continuing, “but see, these two items, when worn together and with the Zone’s support, grant the wearer infinite power”.

Lewis coughs a bit, that was a little much. But it also explained a bit more why Danny hadn’t taken the throne. He didn’t want to be basically an unstoppable force of nature. Being this High Ghost King would make him that. “That, that’s ridiculous”.

Danny chuckles a bit awkwardly, “yeah, but it’s not like there are no draw backs? That’s even why I was able to bash old asses face in. He was destroying the Zone, no way It was going to support him. Sure the items still made him stronger, but not drastically. And he didn’t have access to any of the unique powers that come with them. Like KingsSpeak, which lets you pretty well mind control any and all ghosts, and ZoneWarp, which lets you control the very fabric of the Zone. The only reason he even could command the Dread Army, was because there was no one else who could claim the throne”, shrugging, “then there are the general draw backs. Putting up with them is like proving you’re worth the crown, kinda. The items are very painful to wear, Pariah himself even screamed when putting them on, and he’s an Ancient now. If your own power-level isn’t high enough, they’ll literally melt and devour you; that one stops people from just trying to steal them without earning them. Then there’s Kings Madness, that’s what happened to Pariah. That’s not why he’s known as The Mad King though, that’s 'cause of his anger issues. See, the infinite power thing also means that the entirety of the Zone’s power is constantly feeding into and cycling through you. So the ghosts power hunger is constantly being fed. If the ghost isn’t careful, that’ll drive them completely insane and power-crazed”.

Lewis won’t deny he’s gaping a far bit, that all sounded pretty darn awful, “why the fuck would anyone want this throne? Seriously. Constant pain and threat of insanity?”, shaking his head, that was ridiculous. Something anyone or creature should actively be avoiding. Leading positions were supposed to be _better_ to have than not to. Sure there was the responsibility of them, but that’s hardly a true negative for anyone who has actually earned the position.

“No one fucking does doc. At least not the reasonable ones. If you try using the crown or ring without having claim to the throne, it’s basically suicide. And trying to fight whoever for the claim officially, is practically suicide too. You can’t actually _beat_ infinite power, Lewis. Unless they’ve already gone Mad, the Zone won’t support a King who suffers from Kings Madness. Avoiding the throne is why the Ancients attacked and sealed him away in a group, instead of anyone attempting to defeat him alone. A group can’t have claim to the throne. But my dumbass was not aware of this shit. Though also, no one expected me to actually win. My fight with him was actually set up behind the scenes so I could get my ass kicked, but also weaken Pariah enough for psycho Frootloop to come in and beat him. Then claim he saved my ass and thus I have to become his evil apprentice because I owed him, or some shit, while also claiming the throne for himself. He even went and stole both the crown and ring, he was _that_ sure of his stupid plan”, Lewis is just staring in something like mute horror, while Danny runs a hand through his hair and continues, “but I beat Pariah and shoved him back into a coma, so under Might Gives Right I’m the rightful King now”.

So Danny was just like Eddie, stumbling ass over elbows into absurd situations and ultimately gaining things no one should logically want. Danny’s just taking it to one serious extreme. Though it probably is better that ‘frootloop’ isn’t the rightful king. But at the same time, Danny just had proper claim right? He didn’t _have_ to be this king. 

Lewis and Danny sit in silence just breathing for a while, until Lewis finds his voice again, “why...would”, shaking his head, “you said back at my house, that if you moved to the Zone, you’d claim your throne. Why, the absolute fuck, would you do that? Ever. Why is this title even a _thing_. Are all ghost ruling positions this messed up?”. 

Danny snorts and his tail curls around a bit. “Of course not, it’s just this one. It’s different and it’s complicated. Normal rulers, bosses-”, looking a bit pointedly at Lewis, “-or say, head surgeons; are just in charge of a group or business of some kind. Make sure people or things are doing what they should and getting along. Avoiding wars or their company’s collapse. That’s not really the role of High Ghost King. The High Ghost King functionally becomes the embodiment of the Ghost Zone. The constant cycling of power through them actively sustains the Zone, increases Its size, keeps It healthy, and so on. Without a proper High Ghost King the Zone slowly decays, will eventually wither away to nothing. The High Ghost King provides unity and a leader to turn to for the ghosts, the final say in all matters, considered the will of the Zone Itself. They’re the last line of defence, as the Zone can not be truly or permanently destroyed unless the High Ghost King is too. And if the Ghost Zone goes, the entire universe goes too”, Danny sighs, “Pariah was so powerful of a ghost that his own power fed into the Zone with such a level of excess that the Zone could have reasonably gone without a High King for millenniums. Especially with the Observants forming and becoming something of a ruling body. Course, they’re also bastards and too far up their own asses to really be all that great. They’re better off and decent at being a judiciary system, not so much at actually being in charge. But they like their power and near strangle hold on the Zone. And of course I’m a threat to that, cause of being princey. Hence why they try to assassinate me every so often. Well that, and the whole _Dan_ thing. Which is honestly a crisis and a half. Cause if I go nutty with Kings Madness I’ll probably turn into him. Except with an army at my command and tow ridiculously powerful artifacts. Ancients, everyone would be _fucked_-”. 

Lewis swallows down his questions and decides to cut Danny off from going down this rabbit hole again, this kid seriously fears his own potential and power way too much, “you won’t. I’d say that you happened because he failed his Obsession, like you said, and that corrupted It, changed It. Or whatever else happened changed It. He had a different Obsession than you. If you ask me, you going mad would simply make you excessively protective now. Your Obsession won’t and wouldn’t let you do harm. You’d be overbearingly and self-harmingly helpful. Which wouldn’t be good either, mind you, but still”.

Danny blinks at him, wait a fucking minute, he already knew _Dan’s_ Obsession was fucked up. Was different. But still, “if he could, if I could, change like that once, then I could again. But, but I guess you do have a point”. 

Lewis leans back, this was an issue Danny needed to face. He was probably going to get stronger and with this High Ghost King situation, limitlessly strong some day. Because from the sounds of it there _has to be a High Ghost King_. And that meant Danny. Though he’s not sure he can even fathom how Danny’s going to be and actually do this High Ghost King job. Danny, and the universe apparently, could not afford him fearing being powerful and dangerous. How does Lewis get into these situations? If Vee went bad, the world got destroyed. If Danny goes bad, the universe, apparently, gets destroyed. Eddie and Vee have each to keep each other in check. Danny just has his own nature, but half the way people know their own nature is by others explaining it to them. And the only ones who really know Danny are a bunch of teens, teens just don’t have the maturity or experience to deal with this; they just don’t. Doesn’t help that the adults around him keep saying his nature, as a ghost, is to be bad. Changing those twos opinions, opening their eyes, is far _far_ more than a little Danny-acceptance side project. But how Danny sees himself is far more important, “I don’t think so. You know that if your Obsession corrupts or changes like that, you will hurt people. And your Obsession, as It is now, won’t tolerate that. Due to you knowing what could be, your Obsession, by Its very nature, won’t allow it to happen”.

Danny stills completely, sounding almost in awe but completely baffled, “how in the?”.

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, “how did I pick apart why you fearing power and the future was stupid and put it in a way that makes sense?”. Danny just nods a bit numbly, so Lewis continues, “I’m a doctor, we have psychology training”. Also helps that Danny’s brain, or at least the ghostly obsessive part, functioned in a way that he could go from ‘not okay’ to ‘okay’ in seconds flat. Human brains needed far more time and routine to alter negative thoughts and habits. With Danny, if it had something to do with protecting, pacifying his Obsession was basically an instant fix. And considering his lack of freaking out much over Venom, it was a long term fix at that. 

Of course he’s still going to try to deflect a little, prove that Lewis just can’t be completely right. So Lewis isn’t too surprised when Danny responds with, “my sister’s practically a psychologist”.

Lewis resists rolling his eyes, “without any official training. And I’ve had a year of experience working with a non-human who spent the better part of millenniums committing mass murder, who’s now trying to be good. And Eddie, who has to live with the fact that he has to kill, has to deal with Vee’s very murderous cravings and enjoyment. Those two may be relatively okay with their murderous ways, and be drastically less moral, but they still _have_ morals. Still have lines they won’t cross. And like you, both of them do have fears that they might cross them. Eddie worries that he might get too comfortable and lose his morals entirely. Vee worries they’ll do that to him, turn him into something he doesn’t want to be. Corrupt him. Fears that they’ll become a parasite, like so many say they are or will be. I’ve had this kind of talk with them more than once. In the end, so long as Vee has Eddie, they’ll always be good for his sake. So long as Eddie keeps his drive, his passion for his job of bringing down the evils of the world, he could never lose his morals. And me and Anne will be there to support them. You maybe a more extreme case, but while Eddie could feasibly lose his drive and Vee could feasibly lose Eddie, the same can’t be said for you and your Obsession. Your Obsession is part of you on a much deeper level, someone would have to remove your Obsession for you become Dan. Your Obsession is an intrinsic part of you. While Eddie’s drive is just something he’s grown to love and care about. And Vee can hop into another host in the blink of an eye. Can you just drop or change your Obsession? Can It just fade away? I’m pretty sure the answer to that is no”. 

Danny sputters a bit incredulously, “I mean, you’re not _wrong_”. 

“Then there’s no more problem. You can’t be Dan. You can’t commit mass murder. So stop thinking you can”, while Danny makes a very befuddled face but clearly not freaking out anymore, Lewis leans back and smirks, “of course, you couldn’t have figured that out on your own. You needed someone to tell you, otherwise you’d convince yourself that you’re just making up the reasons why you couldn’t be like that. You needed to talk it out”. Is Lewis being a bit of an ass? Yes. A bit unsympathetic? Probably. Probably also sounded a little egotistical. That all seems to work with Danny, somehow, though. 

Danny sits up and runs a hand through his hair, he doesn’t look weak or shaky anymore so Lewis doesn’t try to stop him. Though he’s not sure what to make of Danny suddenly wheezing in laughter and curling in on himself a bit, “oh Ancients! You just! You really did! Just _Incredible_!”, Danny straightens up and sends Lewis a wily smirk, “you sly doc, you had me monologuing and monologued right back”. 

Lewis is glad to say he gets the reference, and it’s arguably funnier with Danny being a superhero...who wears black and white. Lewis chuckles, okay that’s funnier than it has any right to be. He may not have done any of this intentionally, but he chooses to just wink at Danny. Who promptly laughs. But apparently the two word vomited enough that no one can find anything to say now, resulting in a silence that’s just shy of being awkward. 

Danny’s body breaks the silence when he starts floating, which Lewis raises an eyebrow at. Danny chuckling and rubbing his neck, “floating’s a default for ghosts remember, so unless I’m actively making a point not to, I’ll always be floating”.

Lewis points at him, “and you weren’t before because you were still recovering”, Lewis gives Danny a very smug smirk when he sheepishly nods and looks around. 

“Oh shut it. It’s a frosty day in the Zone when I’m not sporting some injury or another. Ancients knows I’m a fighter at the core”. 

Lewis shakes his head with a small smile, “Anne is going to be very confused if I pick up any of your ghost phrases”. 

“Good! Confusion is just the bastard child of chaos. Us spookies love chaos and all Its fucked up children”, Danny tilts his head and chuckles, “speaking of children, kinda accidentally outed that ghosts can have kids to my folks by talking about a child who doesn’t exist yet, while I was practically high on my own overproduced ectoplasm. Confused the Zone out of them”.

Lewis deadpans, “you know, I’m starting to think you’re not a mess, so much as your life is. And yet you want to make it worse by taking that crown”. Danny’s definitely a mess though, Lewis is just used to Eddie’s level of mess. 

“You are relentless aren’t you?”, Danny can’t really blame the guy for being curious, though somehow he doubts Lewis pesters Vee for information like this, “do you ask Vee every question in the universe?”.

Lewis tilts his hand around a little, “once I got them past halfheartedly asking to eat me, pretty much. Much more biology-based though, as Klyntar don’t really have much in the way of their own culture”, and that really was a shame wasn’t it? Plus Vee didn’t really like talking about it. Maybe Danny could actually help in that regard? He’s quite excitable about space and he has a darkness in him. While Lewis is just a weird person. And both Eddie and Danny have seen suffering, Eddie relating to Danny will make Vee more comfortable. But it almost seems like Danny _likes _suffering. Leaning a bit forward and getting back to the point,“so, why do you rather nonchalantly sorta want something that comes with an inordinate amount of pain and sanity issues?”, Lewis tilts his head, “okay Vee gave Eddie those in the beginning, but they worked that out. I doubt you can work things out with a crown and ring”. 

Danny snorts, yeah organ eating and hearing voices couldn’t have been very pleasant feeling. “I’d bug ya about being unbothered by someone trying to eat you, but I get it. Most of the wisps and ChimeChoo’s don’t seem to mind much. Not that I make a habit of eating ‘em. Half the time it’s just to bug Sam when she’s going overboard with the vegan shit. The skele’s would eagerly let me eat them”, Lewis blinks at that but doesn’t get a chance to comment or think on it, as Danny just keeps on talking, “but for the crown shit, I don’t fuckin’ want it doc. Not personally anyway. But all ghosts and ectoplasm is connected to the Zone, to the Zone’s Core. And while the Zone is by no means sentient, It has something close to desires. Since I beat Pariah’s face in the Zone supports and thus wants me, in the loosest sense of the word, being King. Which means the ectoplasmic bits of my body very actively want to be King, like there’s a physical gravitational pull towards the title, or some shit. The more ectoplasm in my system or that I’m in contact with, the stronger that pull is. In the Zone that pull can be near intoxicating. If I moved to the Zone full time, I’m not putting up with that. The draw backs of being king would be less annoying than the pull. I’m used to pain, it’s pretty fucking come-by honestly. I'm also fucking inclined against power hunger, in case that wasn't obvious, and my self-control is damn strong generally. So Kings Madness isn’t much of a concern. Plus I’m close with multiple queens, a chief, and a king. Then there’s also CW. I already know how ruling works in the Zone, and CW is a Hell of a guardian to have. The FrightKnight’s already sworn himself to me, so that won’t change. The Dread Army already follows me, so neither will that”, Danny scratches his head, “really, being High Ghost Prince instead of King is like having a position without the power of it. Like being king in name only”. 

“Why does anyone pick fights with you then? If you’re pretty much their king”, Lewis holds up a finger, “wait, you actually eat sentient ghosts?”. Lewis is deciding against touching the fact that Danny’s so used to pain that he just doesn’t care anymore. Though yeah, that ‘pull to the throne’ feeling is a fairly reasonable reason to claim this throne. And if the Zone needs a High King, it does make sense. More than a little shitty that he’s basically forced into ruling though. Guess Danny’s ectoplasm can work against him and force him into things, just like Vee can do to Eddie. There are more similarities every day. 

Danny gives Lewis a very dirty look, he had no place giving Danny shit, “ghost fauna yeah, and you have no place to judge that. There’s a difference between ghosts with Core’s and those without. Those without have pseudo sentience, if they get eaten they eventually get recreated by the Zone no worse for the wear. It’s arguably more ethical than eating mortal fauna. Us all being the same species doesn’t mean shit. Though yeah, some ghosts do eat weaker ghosts with Core’s. I’m not about to though”, squinting a Lewis’s growing smirk, “and before you say it, it is not the same as a human, like Eddie, eating humans. Humans don’t fucking respawn”.

Lewis nods acceptingly, “I’ll give you that”. Danny smirks, he damn well better. Lewis picks back up, “though he’s had to accommodate an alien living inside his body, you can’t blame him for a few adjustments to his principles”. 

Danny stares at him looking slightly annoyed, “I think the fuck I can”.

Lewis raises a very dubious eyebrow, “oh? And you didn’t have a few _adjustments_ after acquiring ectoplasm? After being rather aggressively intruduced to a whole nother species and becoming very _intimate_ with said species?”.

Danny squints at him, mumbling, “I feel like there’s a double meaning there that I really don’t want to hear about”, huffing and pointedly not thinking about Lewis’s slight smirk, “my ‘adjustments’ didn’t include _eating people_ and _very frequent murder_, Lewis”. Lewis just shrugs so Danny very pointedly chances the subject, “and as for the fighting, again that’s a ghost socialisation thing. Everyone picks fights with each other unless fighting them is functionally impossible, will result in the ghosts destruction, or just really not worth the effort. What you generally see on tv is basically sparring matches, play fighting. Like I said, fighting is dancing for ghosts. Fight clubs instead of dance clubs etcetera. We’re durable creatures so it’s fine, though unlike a normal lair, Amity is not entirely self-repairing. A normal ghost lair can get blown to smithereens and reform in a few hours. Since normal lairs are ecto-constructs. Where as Amity is just insanely ecto-contaminated. My room though-”, Danny gestures around and Lewis raises his eyebrows as things start glowing, changing colours, and the air becomes green and thicker. Danny swirls some of the visible free-floating ectoplasm around his fingers, “-it's practically part of the Zone. But like me, it knows to hide”. 

Lewis chuckles as everything snaps back to ‘normal’, now pretty sure that his ceiling was never actually painted green, “it’s as secretive as you”. 

Danny smirks, “yup. The other reason ghosts picks fights, or more specifically attack Amity, is because of my Obsession. I need to protect, them attacking gives me the opportunity to do just that. All the fighting also keeps me practiced, so there’s that too”. 

Lewis squints at Danny, “so you were just having what Sam implied was basically a stroke over ghosts coming here hurting things, but you also want ghosts doing that. And ghosts beat the shit out of you, but it’s good for your health. Protecting the city from ghost attacks is your self-sacrificial duty, but half the reason they do it is so you can do exactly that. Do you know how ass backwards that is? That’s like a cop encouraging crime so they can stop it”. At least Vee and Eddie didn’t encourage crime, they just searched for or stumbled into it. The crime rate in San Fran is waaaaay lower now, from just one year of their Venoming. But Amity’s frequency of attacks hasn’t reduced at all in two. Least now he knew why. Though it did seem like Amity was kind of proud and exceptionally used to the attacks. Plus, apparently no one has died and there isn’t usually any serious damages. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “I’m aware. Be glad I’m not like Poindexter. The ghost fauna, which takes the shape of other teenage ghosts, in his lair constantly beat him up. Give him wedgies, swirlies, shove him in lockers. His Obsession is anti-bullying. So he pulls pranks to ‘get back at’ bullies. His lair bullies him relentlessly, and he pranks it back”. 

Lewis gives him some seriously dubious eyebrows, “that is incredibly ass backwards”. 

Danny throws his hands out to the side, “it’s true though! We swapped bodies once, and I got stuck in his lair. Not fu-”. Danny gets cut off by a knock on the door, making Danny transform back human on reflex. Maddie’s voice asking, “you two in there?”. 

“Yup!”. 

“He just needed a little rest!”. Lewis is pretty sure the ‘crashed into something’ excuse isn’t needed anymore. Since Danny managed to not fuck up his wrapping or braces and he was healthy again. Minus the still not regrown legs. 

Maddie giggles a little, “oh alright! The CyberSteps are all set up and tested whenever you’re ready sweetie!”. 

“Okay!”.

Danny floats up out of his bed after he hears her go downstairs, stretching out and looking to Lewis, “anything else you feel like drilling me about doc? Or crises you feel like giving me?”.

Lewis rolls his eyes, “a guy’s got his faults”, before getting up, “and honestly yeah. Never got to ask anything about your whole ‘why the High Ghost King role is needed’ info dump. On account of you going off the deep end for a bit there”. 

“Oh fuck you, Lewis”. 

* * *

Danny decidedly does not answer _shit_, Lewis can stew in his curiosity for a bit. He thinks that’s fair enough, what with doc giving him a damn Obsessive Crisis. He’s allowed to be a little goddamn petty. Besides, he’s a ghost, they do petty proudly. 

“You know I will ask later”.

Danny shrugs, “that’s future me’s problem”.

“And you’ll be future you soon”.

“Time travel not being an uncommon thing for me makes that genuinely debatable. And logically I could just ignore you. Ancients knows how much practice I get with that thanks to screwing with those damn eyeballs”. 

“But telling me would be _helpful_”.

“Ancients end me, I absolutely will lock you in the dungeon. The Iron Maiden hasn’t seen much use lately”. 

“The _what_???”.

“You heard me”. 

Danny smirks very smugly as Lewis just pauses on the steps and looks at him with something that’s just a little too impressed to qualify as morbid curiosity. Danny looks up at him from the bottom of the steps, “Tucker cooks meat in the Brazen Bull for funsies sometimes. I’ve been chained down there once for a few day torture session”. 

Lewis quirks an eyebrow before shaking his head and walking the rest of the way to the living-room. He’s still trying to figure out who has the more nightmarish life. Venom or Phantom. In the complicated department, Danny definitely did. By miles and miles. He also won in the painful department. Because as often as Eddie got hurt, which was often his own fault, Danny got hurt far more. But horror wise? everything about Vee screamed horror movie, and they’d seen some serious shit in their long life. But Eddie adapted well, was better for it. Frequent murder aside, Eddie's life was less shit in every way. The same doesn’t seem to really apply to Danny. If Danny didn't like how he is, everything about it would arguably be awful. But Lewis is pretty sure only those who would like it, would be more or less better off, would adjust well; would become ghosts. Danny would probably be better off full ghost, safety and stress wise anyway. But with his evil self being a full ghost, Danny’s probably a bit averse to being a full ghost. 

Turning to Danny before the lab stair doors, having remembered something Maddie had said, “Danny...a bit ago Maddie said ghosts don’t remember their lives. Is that true?”.

Danny looks at Lewis, any temptation to smugly refuse answering disappearing at the guy looking genuinely concerned. Shaking his head, “it’s not. Not really anyway. It just becomes foggy, a bit harder to remember I guess. There’s more mental importance placed on their current afterlife, than what once was. It doesn’t affect me, so I don’t really know. But that’s how it’s been explained to me”, Danny tilts his head and chuckles, feeling reminded of ClockWork, “what we are and what we were. What was builds what is and what is builds what will be. What was can never build what will be, so it’s best left to softened memory only. Memory made sweet and kind with time, lest it come back to harm what is and taint what will be. That is, in the end, the nature of death. The absolute shedding of what was, with the intent to leave nothing but a gentle handprint on the back, as life pushes the spirit away to another state of being. Where maybe death can give, what life could not”. Danny smirks a little to himself and then smirks wider over Lewis’s face looking like it doesn't know what emotion to feel. Danny speaks with slightly mocking humour, “I betcha CW loves it when I recite them to the confusion and bafflement of others”. 

Lewis squints at him, so his idea that being a ghost was something of a kind of repentance for an unfulfilled life was very much correct, “how many times have they said that for you to be able to remember it word for word?”.

Danny tilts his head, “you know, I don’t think they’ve _ever _repeated themselves really. Beyond names and jokes anyway”, shrugging, “they’re just very memorable. Plus, when they say deep shit, it’s usually important somehow. Either important information, some lesson I need to learn, or a warning”. Danny points down the stairs and floats down after Lewis nods. This ‘CW’ is someone Danny should listen to more.

While Lewis wonders what death has given Danny that life couldn’t. But blurts out in a hushed tone, “your fear of what once was your future, is tainting what currently will be. Future King”. Making Danny genuinely jerk in the air as they enter the lab. 

Maddie giggles a little at Danny wobbling in the air, he did seem to be getting the hang of it but it also seemed that if he was a bit too distracted it became a bit harder. “You good sweetie?”.

“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, I’m fine. Just, uh, figuring things out is all”. Lewis smirks to himself at that. 

Jack holds up the CyberSteps for a beat before putting them upright on the ground, bringing everyone’s attention to them. Danny floating over and peering down at them. They didn’t really look any different, the circular timer was placed next to the thumbprint scanner now instead of on the right hip, but otherwise seemed the same. Well no, that wasn’t _quite_ true. They were a bit more ‘muscular’, still very much lean though. It looked a little more like what he was used to seeing his legs look like. Lewis was a fucking magician. Danny points at the timer and looks up to his folks, “won’t me activating and deactivating the thumbprint scanner wind up with me bumping the timer a bunch?”.

Jack waves him off, “no worries Danny-boy! It’s durable!”. Danny grumbles, “if you say so”. Danny’s pretty sure it’s durable up to human standards, not ghost standards; and he was ghostly strong. But slips his tail into the CyberSteps anyways. With Lewis, unsurprisingly, watching curiously. 

Danny activates them cautiously, after both other times resulted in less than pleasant reactions, he thinks a little paranoia is warranted. He can still feel them sapping his ectoplasm, but it’s a lot, like_ a lot_, less; and it does feel a little different. If his folks are going for ‘like shooting a continuous small ecto-beam’ they got it pretty darn close. Danny smiles a little when his dad cheers and throws his fists up, since Danny doesn’t seem to be having any kind of reaction. And unbeknownst to his folks, he already had experience with moving around cyber limbs using neuroreceptors; so this should be easy enough. Blinking when trying to stand on the toes does nothing, then trying to move them in any way and still nothing happening. Flicking his split tail around and pulling on all the little hooks, which does result in him successfully lifting his right leg. Well, at least that worked. It’s...something. Not the thing they’re all trying for. But still something.

Danny stares down at the CyberSteps and waves off Jack’s excited cheering, making Lewis go from more than a little impressed to a slight frown. Watching as Danny lifts each leg up and down a few times, before attempting to walk a little and promptly pitching sideways; only avoiding completely falling over due to Maddie rushing over and catching him. Either he needed a _lot_ of practice or something wasn’t working right. Considering Danny ‘said’ he had operated a full exoskeleton, Lewis doubts it’s the first option. Maddie asking, “you okay?”. 

Danny glances up at her and nods before righting himself in a rather uncoordinated manner. “I’m fine. Was moving them with my tail. Definitely not the most effective way. Trying to move them like legs and without intentionally moving my tail doesn’t do anything though”. 

Lewis points out, “you’re not moving them ‘like legs’ either. Not properly anyway. I would be able to tell from across the street that something was up with your legs”. It was a little like one of those marionette dolls, he was moving like there was strings pulling at the legs. 

Jack scratches his head, they should be working just fine! “Can you feel them draining? You said you could with the previous ones”. 

Danny tilts his hand around in the air, “kinda? It’s a lot, like _a lot_, less though”.

“Maybe they just need to be turned up!”, Jack bends down and turns the timer after releasing a few safety switches; installed purely to keep Danny from accidentally cranking up or down the power regulation and circulation. While Danny tries not to feel awkward about the belt buckle like placement. Sending Lewis a glare when the doctor starts chuckling. 

* * *

They spend about an hour increasing the regulation and getting Danny to try again, up until the point where the draining feels on par with repeated duplication and Danny’s starting to feel rather ectoplasmicly exhausted. Not to mention he can almost feel the entirety of his chest vibrating with how harshly his Core is vibrating. Danny grumbling, “okay, that’s, uh, really draining. Like, _a lot_”. Even if he could move around the legs, he wouldn’t be able to for very long. Which was a problem. Obviously. If he kept feeding them like this, he’d probably pass out after a few hours. 

Jack scratches his head some more, what were they missing? It was like no matter how much or little the CyberSteps were taking they couldn’t convert Danny’s brain signals into electronic commands and inputs. But why? 

Lewis clears his throat, Danny was starting to look like he wanted to pass out after drinking and dancing for way too long. “Maybe you should turn them back down instead of draining Danny dry. Since there’s definitely more work to do”. Lewis isn’t sure Jack even heard him but Maddie jerks and goes a little wide-eyed before rushing over and turning down the dial. Speaking quietly to Danny -who absolutely looks tired- all the while, “right right, sorry sweetie”. Danny, in predicable fashion, promptly claims he’s ‘okay’. Danny has a serious issue with saying he’s ‘fine’ or ‘alright’ or ‘okay’, when he definitely is _not_. 

Lewis walks over and helps Maddie with helping Danny ‘walk’ to sit on a stool. While Jack looks to be off contemplating and tapping his chin. Maddie kneeling down to pat at and pinch the CyberSteps in spots. Looking up at Danny, “can you feel any of this?”. Danny shakes his head with a slight frown, so Maddie continues while getting Danny to twist around so she can check the neuroreceptors wirings and connections, “you should be able to, this all looks to be connected properly”. Straightening up and scratching her head, “the timer and conductor must be messing with how the signals are received, stored, or interpreted. Somehow”.

Danny chuckles a bit awkwardly, “fix one issue just to find another huh?”.

Maddie ruffles his hair, “don’t worry, we’ll figure it out”. 

They then spend the better part of half an hour moving and poking different parts of the CyberSteps and asking Danny if he can feel this or that. Which only reveals that the neuroreceptors aren’t working at all really. No one getting a chance to really comment on that fact as there’s a knock on the door. Maddie looking at the time, it was far too early for any of the kids to be out of school yet, but heads up to see who it is anyway. Jack rushing up to get thinking snacks (it’s fudge) as well. 

Danny tilts his head up and sniffs at the air deeply, if it’s another out of town salesman this could be fun. Only to jerk a little and mutter, “shit”, and snap his head down at his ‘legs’. No way in all the Zone’s infinite lands did he want _Vlad_ knowing about the legless situation. Quickly testing if he could make the CyberSteps intangible, thanking everything he can, before floating up in the air and snapping at Lewis, “go up there and make sure my folks _don’t _mention my leg situation to our visitor. I’m getting pants”, then zipping through the ceiling without waiting for Lewis’s reply, 

Lewis blinks, well alright then, Danny must know whoever. Getting up and heading upstairs to find a well dress skinny man that practically screamed pompous prick with every aspect of his being. He reminds Lewis of the rich blowhards that want to ‘donate’ money, but for something in return. Lewis is not impressed at all. The guy taking and kissing Maddie’s hand rather exaggeratedly is also quite a bit creepy. Especially since she looks none too pleased about the situation. 

“When I heard what had happened to the little badger I just _had_ to come visit”.

Alright, the guy also sounded as pretentious as he looked. Lewis would bet this guy threw money at anything that didn’t please him. As the guy continues speaking after straightening up and fully walking into the house, “I would have visited sooner but the hospital wouldn’t allow for it”, shaking his head, “I mean really, the audacity. To deny a dear child from seeing their godfather. I’m sure I could find a thing or two to sue them for”.

Maddie grimaces a little, “that’s not nec-”. Maddie gets cut off as Jack comes into the living room exclaiming, “V-man! Come to see Danny-boy?!?”, then nearly crushing the guy in a hug.

Another thing Lewis thinks is pretty obvious, is that this guy very clearly_ does not _like Jack. As he grimaces at the larger man and smooths out his suit, while Jack keeps on speaking, “and don’t worry yourself about the hospital! They took great care of Danny-boy! Even let him home a bit early!”.

Lewis steps over, deciding now might be a good time to get involved. “And I’d rather you not sue my hospital”, tilting his head as the guy looks to him. He looked kind of familiar actually. 

“And you are? Clearly you’re from the hospital. Why you’re here I can’t say I know. Or that I care much beyond if you annoy me or the boy”. 

Maddie glares a little but Jack claps him on the shoulder nearly hard enough to knock him over, “oh! Dan and Danny get along wonderfully!”, tilting his head a little, “and don’t you remember Dan? From college?”.

Danny comes up from the lab then, Lewis isn’t quite sure how he’s moving the ‘legs’ more smoothly and naturally. Sitting down on the sofa and smirking, “Vladdie, sure took you a while to come say hi”, putting a hand to his chest in a show of mock hurt, “and here I thought you cared”. 

Lewis tilts his head, “wait, Vlad, as in Vlad Masters? So _that’s_ why you look familiar”, nodding a little, “I believe we had a few political sciences and psychology classes together. You were helping Maddie and Jack with that portal project, weren’t you”. 

Apparently Lewis hit a slight sore spot, considering Vlad’s frown and that he’s clearly making a point to not sound bitter, “yes I was. Can’t say I recall you”, smirking, “must not have been someone of importance or value”. Then looking to Danny and smiling, though it’s slightly mean, “and I’ve been rather busy lately, Daniel. You know how hectic having a _successful_ professional life can be”, smirking, “well maybe you don’t. Course that could change”. 

Danny rolls his eyes so hard it looks painful. Then points over his shoulder at Lewis, “doc’s the head surgeon, one of the best in the country. So I’d say he’s fairly important. And deserving of his status, unlike _some people_”. 

Jack beams, “yup! He got the hospital to let him come stay here for a while! To keep a good eye on Danny-boy!”, patting Lewis on the shoulder, “been helping get him healed up! Though he’s quite the fast healer!”.

Vlad smirks, “yes, I imagine he is”, walking to and leaning over Danny slightly, “that must have been a pretty awful accident, Daniel. Though I can’t say you look all that injured. Certainly not enough for an at-home doctor”, glancing at all the bandaging and the braces, “though all of this implies you _were_ rather banged up”.

Lewis glares slightly, “I’d say I’m the judge of that”. While Maddie nods, “we got lucky, even Dan was impressed he survived”. 

Vlad smiles and eyeballs Danny a bit, “well how peculiar then. Who knows, maybe with the care I could provide he’d be good as new already”. 

Danny growls a little, “hardly. And don’t waste your so-called ‘worry’. I’m completely fine”. That was a pretty big ‘go fuck yourself’ if Lewis has ever heard one.

“Yes I’m sure you are. You’re quite the little fighter after all”. 

Maddie worries her lip some, obviously Danny didn’t want Vlad knowing about the situation. He had said back at the hospital that he didn’t really want _anyone_ else knowing. And Vlad knowing would likely encourage him to stick around or visit; which neither her nor Danny wanted. Then noticing how Danny actually had _pants_ and _socks_ on, alright so he _was _hiding the CyberSteps. She’s definitely impressed he managed to get all that on, and so quickly too. Plastering on a sweet smile, “why don’t I fix everyone up some coffee?”, throwing Jack a Look, “I’m sure _Dan _can explain any details that _Danny’s_ comfortable with sharing”. 

Jack blinks a few times before nodding, “oh yeah! That stuff certainly isn’t my strong suit”. Completely missing Vlad mutter, “nothing is your strong suit, you imbecile”. As Jack runs off to the kitchen with Maddie. 

Danny resists a sigh, his folks were not all that skilled in the art of lying and secret-keeping. His mom might as well have said ‘Danny’s hiding how hurt he is and there’s shit he doesn’t want you to know’. Thankfully Vlad’s ego was so big and he was so used to being surrounded by yes men, that hiding things from him could occasionally be really damn easy. That, and Vlad tended to just assume he’d find out whatever secret later. Considering Vlad’s tendency to bug the house, he probably was going to figure it out. Doesn’t mean Danny’s just going to hand him the info though; unless there’s a good joke to make of course. 

Danny speaks quiet enough that he knows no human could hear him unless they were literally right next to him, like Lewis. Glaring at Vlad, “you can cut the crap old man”. 

Both Lewis and Vlad raise an eyebrow. Vlad responding with, “what ever do you mean, my dear boy?”. 

Danny rolls his eyes and looks to Lewis, “I don’t like Vlad, in case that’s not obvious. And he’s probably certifiably insane, so there’s that. Tell him nothing, if he wants to know he’ll just have to bug the house again”. 

Vlad rolls his eyes, “you just haven’t seen any sense yet. You and Maddie both”, scowling at the air, “you could have so much better but instead you stick with that oaf”. 

Danny replies thick with sarcasm, “Uh-huh”. 

Lewis sticks a finger in the air, “funny thing, that one friend of mine has only gotten his place bugged once. By some pharmaceuticals mob-connected boss. He was pretty happy about that and scared the crap out of the spy guy”. 

Danny snorts, “yeah I bet so. And first times are a wonderful thing”, Danny smirks and leans towards Lewis. Speaking at Lewis but giving Vlad some malicious side-eye, “you know doc, Vlad here is, like, _super_ sketchy. Your friends might be interested, though I doubt he’s edible. Probably give someone indigestion or something”. 

Vlad squints at Danny, “I have no idea what you could be insinuating or what you’re playing at”. 

Lewis raises both eyebrows, that seriously sounded like Danny was attempting to sick Eddie -maybe Venom- on Vlad. Meaning he was ether up to some seriously shady shit or Danny hated this guy enough to be at least kind of okay with Vee making a meal of him. Though also pretty well saying Vee shouldn’t or maybe can’t, eat Vlad. Which would be a feat. “Oh I doubt they’d find anything inedible. Though considering they just got back from their most recent near murder and probable abduction, they’ll likely take it easy for a bit”.

Danny chuckles, “yeah, gotta rest off those stab wounds”. Lewis gives Danny a very pointed look. The messages of ‘you should rest off your wounds too’ rather obvious. Danny points at Vlad, “don’t waste the breath lying. There’s not a single thing you’ve gained truly legally”, smirking, “and yet you still don’t have the Packers”, leaning back into the couch, “and let’s not forget your definitely illegal lab”. 

Lewis nods and taps his chin, “my friend does enjoy breaking into those”. Even if it almost always resulted in him/them getting tortured. 

Vlad frowns, “I doubt I have anything to worry about. Even if whoever wasted their time looking for nothing and somehow found something, what could some simpleton even do anyway”. 

Lewis chuckles, “I think there’s a few years old recording of someone saying that to him, before getting cracked over the head by a chair and all of their off shore assets getting frozen”. Lewis straightens out slightly and looks to Vlad with a blatantly fake smile, “anyway, Danny is perfectly fine. Not a hair of a problem. Totally healthy”. 

Danny snickers, “rumours of my near-death have been greatly exaggerated”. 

Vlad glares, “well at least you’ve made some more adult acquaintances”, smiling slightly, “maybe he’ll understand that you’re best off with someone who could truly guide and support you. Really _understands_ you”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “the only thing you understand is being a crazed up nutcase”. 

Vlad waves his hand dismissively, “so much misplaced animosity and wasted potential”, looking to Lewis, “_children_. They really do lack understanding of the world”, giving Lewis a slightly appeasing look, “guess it would make sense anyone once associated with me would achieve some level of success. Though I certainly could have acquired the best, rather than _one of the best_”, sighing and shaking his head, “it’s truly a shame that woman refused to listen”. 

Danny was familiar enough with Vlad to know that _wasn’t_ a thinly veiled threat. While Lewis raises an eyebrow, “Ms. Leevy? The hospital head?”.

Vlad rolls his eyes like this isn’t worth the time, “the one who runs that joke of a ‘hospital’ yes. Can’t say I wasted my time remembering her name”. 

Lewis shrugs, “expected, can’t say I remember the name of everyone who’s insides I’ve played with”. Vlad gives a look that almost seems concerned, while Lewis tilts his head and chuckles, “and my friends don’t really remember _anyone’s_ names”, looking to Vlad with a slight smirk, “but of course Ms. Leevy didn’t meet whatever demands you gave her. No one questions or touches what happens with _my_ patients”, shrugging, “you talked to the wrong person. And that’s on you”. Danny snorts at Vlad looking more than a little peeved for a second. 

Maddie comes back in with coffees, Danny takes his a bit eagerly. Then awkwardly taking some cookies from the plate his dad brought. Vlad being the only one that outright refuses to take even one. 

Vlad scowls at Jack inhaling most of the cookies before looking to Lewis, “so you’re the one with the power”, humming a little, “someone of at least some quality I suppose. I gather dear Maddie was the one who sought you out then”. 

Maddie grimaces and Lewis is going to guess that Vlad has a ‘thing’ for Maddie. Shaking his head, “Danny was sent to me for my skill, any and all serious or potentially complex cases are”, smirking, “sometimes even from the other side of the country. It was something of luck, you could say,

that Maddie and Jack happen to be long time friends of mine”. 

Jack beams, “it’s awesome both my old buds have done so well for themselves!”. 

Danny points at Jack, “Lewis is actually cool though”, holding back on commenting about ‘also the only one that actually got some kind of permission before messing with his body’. Danny then blinks and gets a bit of a wicked grin. Waiting till his folks are a bit distracted when they shuffle off a little to debate a little about how to fix current ‘projects’. He’s thankful they don’t just talk directly about the CyberSteps, since Vlad will absolutely hear that. 

Looking to Vlad with the mean smirk, “you know, Vladdie, Lewis is totally down for having me intern with him”, humming and telekinetically moving the CyberSteps so that he leans back on his heels, “it _is_ pretty tempting”. 

Lewis blinks, he wasn’t sure if Danny actually _was_ interested in that. He’s pretty sure Danny really didn’t plan on having a job ever. Though yes, Lewis would prefer Danny as an intern/one of his underlings. But judging by Vlad glaring, clenching his fists, and even twitching an eye slightly; Danny was just metaphorically poking Vlad with a stick. Well, if he’s to guess, Vlad must want Danny as a protege or intern or heir. Something like that. And Danny had snuffed him, probably repeatedly. Tilting the rim of his coffee mug at the man when Vlad glances at him with annoyance and disbelief, “it’s true. He’d make a great surgical technician, physician assistant, or even a fellow surgeon”, nodding to himself a little, “I often work along side another surgeon. Though I still call the shots”. Laughing and eyeballing Danny, “though I’m still sure me having even one team member that isn’t put off by me would freak the staff out”.

Danny rolls his eyes with a smile, “eh fuck ‘em”, then cringing only slightly and rubbing his as much as he can when Maddie looks to them and gives him some _very_ judgemental eyebrows. 

Vlad smirks, “watch your language, my dear boy”, though glancing and frowning at Lewis, “I highly doubt you or anyone would be able to provide him much of worth”. 

Lewis shrugs, “a good career is something of worth”. Danny sticks out his tongue and wishes Lewis had been just a little bit quieter. 

Maddie perks up and steps over, “what’s this about careers?”, looking to Danny and patting his head, “it would certainly be nice for you to have a good career”, adding almost chidingly, “and do better in school”. 

Vlad grins, “I’m sure he would, with proper mentorship”, putting a hand to his chest, “especially in these truly trying times”. 

Danny scowls at him, “like you would know anything about anything”. 

“Eloquent”. 

Danny very seriously resists flashing his scary eyes at the guy. Did Vlad _have_ to be such an annoying thorn in his side? Speaking low enough to not be overheard by his dad, “okay, you’ve seen me, personally given your ‘sympathies’, and generally been annoying. Care to leave now?”. 

Vlad rolls his eyes, “I’m sure dear Maddie would _love_ to have someone, an adult someone, to keep an eye on you. Make sure you don’t wind up damaging yourself further. We could have some _one on one time”._

At this point Lewis thinks Vlad has gone from just pompous rich snob with some serious entitlement issues to verging on threatening. Stepping forward slightly, “I find that’s hardly necessary, after all that’s why_ I_ am here”. Maddie’s quick to nod agreeingly. There’s no way Danny would be able to relax with _him_ here, or her for that matter. 

Jack wants to invite his friend to stay but Danny-boy clearly didn’t want that and was attempting at hiding things. Jack is seriously impressed Danny’s able to move the CyberSteps around so well with just that tail of his!

Vlad huffs and straightens out his suit jacket unnecessarily, “very well”, then smiling at Maddie, “do feel free to call me at any time should you need some _real_ assistance”. 

If Maddie had something with her, she’d dump it on him. Instead just sighing slightly when he leaves and closes the door behind himself. Turning to her family (and Lewis), “now that that’s over, anyone feel like _fresh _cookies?”. Jack very quickly agreeing and being effectively distracted from any lingering sadness over Vladdie not saying.

Danny nudges Lewis, “congrats, you just went toe to toe, verbally, with _my_ Drake”. Smirking at that making Lewis go slightly wide-eyed. 

Lewis muttering, “I’m beginning to think there might be something wrong with my social circle”. There was actually no one else in Lewis’s social circle beyond the occasional clingy nurse or new intern. Even from back in college. He wasn’t exactly the best at making and keeping new friends. 

“Anne’s pretty normal”.

“She’s my _wife_, that’s different. And no, she’s really not. You already know that though”. 

Danny chuckles as he moves the CyberSteps to walk himself into the kitchen, “she’s more normal than anyone I know”.

Lewis blinks, “I think that says more about you and your friends, than Anne”.

Danny points at him as Danny sits down, grabbing up a cookie and biting into it aggressively, “I wasn’t just talking ‘bout my friends. The local football star has a collection of fifty identical girly Teddy bears and has repeatedly called me ‘Fentit’ and other variations. The vice-principal swears in _book titles._ This whole town is just a bunch of really weird people”. 

Jack beams, “that’s why we love it!”, mumbling slightly, “and why people let us do whatever we want”. 

Maddie smiles softly at him, “so long as we pay the bill for anyone who’s walls or house we accidentally destroy”. 

Lewis rather hopes they’re kidding about that, but probably not. Maddie speaks back up while looking to Danny, “you seemed to be moving the CyberSteps around pretty well”.

Danny nods a little, “yeah, still not working though and moving them with my tail and ectoplasm is kinda tiring”. 

Lewis immediately butting in, “then you should only do it as a must. _Especially_ right now”. Danny rubs at his neck and grumbles, “I know, geez”. 

Maddie looks to Dan, “so what was this about careers? Danny, no offence sweetie, doesn’t really have a future in place right now. So if there’s something you think he’d be well suited for, I’m sure Danny would be _all ears_”. 

Danny full well feels the warning of ‘take any opportunities seriously’ in that comment. 

Lewis smirks, “we talked some and he did rather rub it in Vlad’s face for fun”. 

Danny grumbles too quiet for anyone really to hear, “bite me in the ass why don’t you”.

Jack laughs, “I'm sure he was proud!”. Making Lewis blink, Jack clearly didn’t realise that Vlad was apparently rather dangerous and clearly didn’t like him very much. Or that Danny seemingly _hated_ Vlad.

Maddie leans forward a bit, making it very clear to Lewis that she’s curious over this ‘career’. Though really the reason Danny would be good at it, is that he’s _already doing it _and _on himself._ Obviously he can’t say that, for a multitude of reasons. “He’s got the right personality and mindset for my general job actually. And-”, speaking more too Danny though still facing Maddie, “-it’s a very _helpful_ job. Does a lot of good and frankly, Amity Park clearly needs more surgeons”, chuckling a little, “the other hospitals decidedly do not enjoy dealing with Amity Parker’s. There are _a lot_ of wild stories”. 

Jack laughs, “I’d imagine! Do they even know how to treat things like ecto-burns? Or what to do if ectoplasm got into a wound?”.

Lewis deadpans, “no”. He certainly didn’t, and he was a head surgeon; if anyone knew, it would have been him. 

Danny facepalms, “Ancients”, mumbling, “but that’s so basic. How has no one died?”. He almost hates that Lewis has a goddamn point. A good one. And that it is absolutely poking at his Obsession some. Fucker. That guy’s getting too good at messing with his ghostly shit. 

Maddie shakes her head, “how irresponsible”, then sighing, “your profession takes a lot of schooling, Dan. That’s not really Danny’s strong suit”. Danny resists wincing and just looks around awkwardly instead. 

Lewis smirks to himself a little, “a little recommendation can go a long way”, and actually already pretty well having a job offer. Not like the hospital head would say no to him on something like who to hire or take on. Especially since he’s never actually made a recommendation of that sort before. 

Danny butts in before this gets too awkward, “anyway, won’t you have to leave soon for said job”. 

Lewis glances to his watch and nods, “just about”, looking Danny over, “best check you over now then”. 

Resulting in Jack jumping up, “we’ll head back to the lab then!”, chuckling, “there’s clearly still more work to be done. Maybe we’ll have another version ready by the time you’re back! Or tomorrow!”. 

Everyone watches Danny go to get off the chair only to promptly yelp and fall down on the floor. Maddie immediately moving around the table, “you alright sweetie?!?”. While Lewis is pulling him to stand back up. 

Danny rubs his hand brace on his neck awkwardly after righting himself, “heh, kinda forgot?”. Lewis chuckles while Maddie shakes her head with a smile. 

Jack laughs and puts his hands on his hips, “well at least they’re built to handle taking some hits!”. Danny’s less clumsy than he used to be, but he’s still very much clumsy. Hence why they made sure to use only the most durable materials! Looks like that was already coming in useful! 

Maddie moves around him to hold the neuroreceptor strip while he deactivates them, at least the timer/conductor was already turned off. She’s glad his tail looks to be waving the regular amount, so it didn’t drain him too badly or his... Core was able to recover quickly. Watching him sit back on the chair, coiling the tail around it some. While Jack runs off with the CyberSteps down to the lab. Maddie looking to Lewis, “you two will be fine I take it? And-”, digging in one of her many pockets, “-here’s a set of keys, so you don’t have to knock every time”. 

Danny resists making a few jokes at the guys expense about his folks going easy on him. Sam and Tuck don’t have keys, not that they even needed them. 

Lewis snatches them up, “thanks. I’ll be back rather late, but somehow I doubt you’ll be in bed”. 

Maddie laughs as she heads to the lab, “probably not. See you later”. 

Danny looks to him, “so... bandages?”, lifting up his arms, “and when the fuck can I take these stupid braces off?”. Lewis smirks, “you shouldn’t even be in braces now. I’d say let’s just check you over in the living room”, shaking his head, “you’re too paranoid for that though”. 

Danny chuckles, “no shit”, and floats up, giving a cocky salute and phasing through the ceiling. 

Lewis shakes his head, show off. About to head up the stairs when Danny’s head pops back through the ceiling, “got a ghostie to deck, just go to work”, and disappearing. 

Lewis grumbles, “can’t go a single day, can you?”, shaking his head and heading out the door, “I think telling that one to ‘relax’ is a severe waste of time”. 

* * *

Lewis is getting some serious reminders that this town is extremely used to ghosts as no one on the road is even _reacting _to the sounds of explosions, one telephone line catching on fire, and the occasional scream. He doesn’t even really get to react too much beyond shaking his head over people not caring, as something slams into his car and sends him skidding halfway onto the sidewalk. Leaving him white knuckle gripping the steering wheel and flicking his eyes to the review mirror to see if there’s any damage without having to move and possibly attract the attention of something dangerous. Only to see Danny rubbing his head. Lewis speaks sounding more annoyed than surprised, “_Danny_”. 

Danny snaps his head to him, locking eyes with him through the mirror, “heh, what’s up doc? Since you’re here, feel like setting a broken bone?”, and lifts up his one arm that is basically at a _ninety-degree_ angle, looking overly hopeful all the while. 

Lewis turns around and glares at him, “I am _not indestructibl_e. Holy fuck”, gesturing out the windscreen, “I’m on the fucking sidewalk, _Danny_”. Sighing defeatedly, “though fine, I appreciate you not totalling my car”, snapping and holding out his hand, “arm”. 

Danny offers the limb, “geez, double Danny’ing me”, rolling his eyes, “it was crash into random car or crash into not-random rocket”.

Lewis grumbles while he realigns the bones, “and _why_ didn’t you entirely phase through my car?”.

“Because he won’t shoot the car”.

Lewis nearly jumps from another echoing voice, “are you finished yet? I have a hunt to finish”. Lewis turning his head to blink at the floating sentient metal machine borderline pointing multiple guns in his general direction. Alright. He’s going to take Danny on his word that _that_ won’t shoot his car. Doesn’t look like they will, positives Lewis. Positives. He’s also going to ignore the ghost grinning very maliciously at him. 

Turning back to Danny, “well, he? they? look quite different from you”, shrugging out some of his tension and finishing Danny’s arm, he’s not going to bother even offering to wrap it, “can’t say I'm not curious _how_ metal is moving like how flesh can. You ghosts just don’t follow the rules of the universe, do you”. 

Danny smirks, “oh that’s just the mecha built of ectoplasmic metal that the actual Skulker is piloting from in the helmet”.

“I’d rather you didn’t tell others my secrets”. 

Danny waves him off, “if he manages to build his own then you can sue me. Sure I’m broke, but I’m rich in other ways”. Turning to Lewis and waving the broken arm around a little, “thanks doc, maybe this’ll count as good luck that your surgeries all go well”. Then zipping off to phase through the side of Lewis’s car, “anyway”, and shouting at Skulker, “I’m gonna shove your sword up your metaphorical ass!”.

Lewis watches for a second, he’s seriously just using the broken limb as if nothing happened to it. Again, his pain tolerance is impressive; though with him abusing injuries like this, it’s nothing short of a miracle that his scars aren’t much much worse. Jerking and shooting Danny a dirty glare when his car glows green and just_ moves off the sidewalk on its own._ Lewis takes the message though and starts driving, watching the fight through the mirror occasionally. Mentally noting to check Danny’s back brace as the kid gets slammed into the ground, at least he dodged the rocket though. Even if him doing that results a small creator and cars getting flung around. 

Lewis having to just start speeding as everyone’s around him does, looking either annoyed or... giddy. He officially feels bad for the cops in this town. Lewis turning his head as the guy next to him starts very loudly bitching. “Great, now I’m late. Fucking ghosts. You’d think Phantom would be better at this crap but nooooo. Lazy fucker still manages to fuck up the road every goddamn week”.

Lewis blinks and points over his shoulder, “uh, the kid just got throw twenty feet into concrete, and you're mad at _him_?”. This must be what Danny meant by people not be very fond of him. 

The guy waves him off, “he’s a ghost, not like it actually hurts him. Asshole should just take the hit and not crash at all. Even if that did hurt, he’s always fucking fine the next time he shows”, pointing tab Lewis trough his window, “and he might look like a kid but he’s super old, been around since at least Ancient Egypt. Fucker should be better at this shit by now. Fucking asshole probably likes damaging shit and make me fucking late”. 

Lewis blinks and decidedly rolls up his window as the other guy glances at his clock and speeds off. So it wasn’t just Eddie who thought Phantom was really old. He’s definitely going to have to remember to ask Danny about that. 

Danny sticks his tongue out at Skulker, “someone really should _charge _you with _battery_!”. 

Skulker pauses in the air, “you know, Walker actually _has_”. Making Danny laugh as he flips in the air to avoid Skulker firing at him again. Though frowning slightly at Skulker’s smirk, “speaking of _charging_...”. 

Danny dips into a alley, phasing through part of the roof; Skulker’s blade clanging on the rooftop. Danny figures out what Skulker was _actually_ referring to as he pulls out what looks like a cattle prod. Danny sighs, “another electrify based thing? Really? Le _sigh borg_”. 

Skulker just smirks and whips it at him, the thing bending and curving like a whip. Danny flipping up, easily avoiding it and mentally sighing over the weapon gouging the ground. Pointing at Skulker, “even though that’s really _scoring_, it doesn’t can’t as a score”. 

Danny making his arm separate to avoid Skulker's sword again only to get whacked by what looks like a mallet, sending him into the ground and the cattle prod thing pinning his throat to the ground. “Huh, you really _nailed_ me there”. 

Skulker smirks, “I _am_ the best hunter there is”, and electrocutes him. Both of them blinking when all that happens is Danny’s ghostly tail popping back to legs. 

Danny looks from Skulker to his legs, wiggling the toes and feeling extremely confused. 

Skulker floats back and scratches his head, “that... is not what that was supposed to do”, flipping over the cratler before watching the halfa float up and wiggling his legs around, “why were you even using your tail whelp. It provided no advantage in battle”. 

Danny looks down at his legs, snickering to himself a little, “well, talk about a _shocking_ turn of events”, looking to Skulker, “eh, my new friend cut my legs off”, tilting his head, “still no clue where he stashed the scraps from that. Folks know so intentionally not he-”, cutting himself off as Skulker flies right into his face looking extremely excited. 

“‘Scraps’? As in part of your living selves flesh? Part of your pelt?”, floating a little closer, “friend? As in the doctor?”. 

Danny chuckles very awkwardly and attempts at putting some distance between them, it’s not very effective, “hey now, don’t go getting your _wires twisted_. Uh, double yes?”. At Skulker immediately flying off Danny whips out his thermos, “oh I don’t think so, rust in peace and don’t go frightening the doc”, easily sucking in the distracted ghost. 

Danny shakes it a few times before blinking out of visibility and flying off to the NeverWoods forest on the outskirts of Amity, eyeballing his legs all the while. This might be a _slight_ problem. 

Landing on the ground and checking that there’s no one around before changing back human while squeezing his eyes shut and hoping to every Ancient that his human form, somehow, still had a ghostly tail. Audibly and loudly groaning at the feel of grass under bare feet, “oh what the fuck, goddamn it”. 

Opening his eyes and looking down, instantly blushing and yelping; quickly moving to cover up a little. He had no fucking pants! Looking around while shuffling to hide behind a tree, “oh this megabytes. Thank everything I’m alone, oh Ancients. Why me”. Looking down and patting at his legs, groaning even more loudly and facepalming with a vicious blush at the bandaging. At least he was covered but bandage booty shorts? really? This was practically _more_ embarrassing. Not to mention illogical. Shaking his head, “I’m not even going to question this”. 

Wiggling his toes in the grass, okay, this was a _serious_ problem. He had_ legs again_. How the Zone was he going to explain this? Rubbing his face, he should at least let Lewis know so the guy will get off his ass about healing and not, like, knock him out or something. Snapping a photo of his feet with bits of grass sticking through his toes and throwing it into the team Phantom chat: 

_Dpain: guess the fuck what_

_PDAxpda: nice dude_

_PDAxpda: why you in the forest though _

_Dpain: ecto electrocuted poofed them back into existence and want check em out sneakily _

_areallynicedressshirt: you get electrocuted quite frequently_

_PDAxpda: wordy name_

_PDAxpda: try again_

_Tiethief: happy? _

_Dpain: truth _

_Dpain: and yes better _

_Dpain: still gonna bug me about healing? _

_Tiethief: all things considered, yes._

_Dpain: 😩_

_NightShade: were coming to you _

_NightShade: check out your miraculous healing _

Danny sputters and walks in a little circle, looking down at his bare legs and the fucking fashion disaster he had going on. 

_Dpain: TOTALLY UNNECCADRY _

_Dpain: IM PREFECTLY FINE AND JUST GOONS WALK HOME _

_PDAxpda: on things you just insta reformed and haven’t used in long ass tine_

_Dpain: IN FINE _

_Tiethief: go pick him up, I don’t believe him for a second_

_NightShade: no one believes his fines_

_Dpain: I’m good. Tootaly good. _

Danny sighs and rubs his face. 

_Dpain: you’re coming angway aren’t you_

_NightShade: 😏_

_PDAxpda: duh_

_Dpain: ugh _

_Dpain: fuck_

_Dpain: this is gonna suck _

_Dpain: could you_

_Dpain: maybe_

_Dpain: bring pants then_

_NightShade: oh Zone 🤣🤣🤣_

_PDAxpda: **wheeze **_

_PDAxpda: **wheeze **_

_Tiethief: I’ll ask you don’t send a picture _

_Dpain: why theb**fuck** would i do that _

_PDAxpda: you are one weird dude _

_PDAxpda: both of you _

_PDAxpda: *picture of pants*_

_NightShade: are you just naked in the forest 🤣_

_Dpain: ..._

_Dpain: almost w*sh i was _

_Tiethief: is this a health thing? And how are your legs? Functioning properly?_

_Dpain: **I’M FINE** everything’s working fine geez _

_Dpain: swear_

_Dpain: wrapping just delt with leggies weirdly _

_Tiethief: I will be checking _

Danny groans and sticks his phone back in between the chest brace and his torso. Leaning against a tree, “goddamnit”. Well, he might as well just sit down; his friends would be pissed if he hid from them and he couldn’t go home with freaking legs. Stretching them out and fiddling with his toes. It _was_ nice to have them again but seriously, the fuck is he going to do? His folks haven’t built functioning CyberSteps yet and even with goddamn body paint he definitely can’t pass these off as the CyberSteps. 

Groaning and banging his head on the tree trunk. He can’t even _test_ new versions out like this. Oh man, he is so fucked. 


	8. Crime And Time Makes Me Fine. NOT.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny messes with a cop, Lewis messes with a ghost, Vee messes with a Eddie, ClockWork messes with EVERYBODY. And while Danny loves ClockWork, he also thinks they’re an absolute bastard. 

Danny gets awoken almost violently and promptly slips off the branch he had climbed up onto. Deciding to just stay laying on the ground groaning rather than deal with his friends; especially hearing them laughing at him.

“Now that’s some quality blackmail material”.

“Dude! Wow you were not kidding!”. 

Danny just groans again as Tucker tosses a pair of pants over his face. Fine, he appreciates actually having pants now -even if they weren’t on him, at least not in the way he’d like them to be- but knowing his friends they were probably patterned embarrassingly. Blinking open his eyes and blowing air strong enough at them to make them float up into the air, effectively confirming a stupid pattern; fucking pink with hearts, motherfuckers. “Jerks”. 

Sam smirks and puts a hand on her hip as Danny pushes himself to sit up, “courtesy of my folks' refusal to accept that I’m not their personal dress-up doll”. 

Danny snorts, “you’d think they'd give you more_ heartfelt_ gifts for a change, instead of using the opportunity to try and make you have a fashionable _change of heart_”. Earning matching groans and making him smirk. Getting up and flipping them off while hopping to get the (very hideous)pj’s on. 

Tucker points at him, “least your legs clearly work”. 

“Tuck pal, I think I’d be having a fair few fucking crises if they didn’t”, patting the pants off before straightening up and gesturing exaggeratedly at his legs, “I’m having a crisis as it is. The fuck am I supposed to do with this? How the fuck am I supposed to explain this guys?!?”, gesturing even more wildly, “I. Have. Legs. Again. They were cut off, and now. They. Are. Back. Is there any section of the endless expanse of the Zone where I am not _fucked_”. 

Tucker shrugs, “body paint? Sam _is_ rich enough for an endless supply”. Sam glares at him, crosses her arms, and then uncrosses them just to smack him over the head, “I am not a walking wallet!”. 

Danny points aggressively at Tucker, “my folks are not utterly blind, Tuck”, shrugging, “sure it’s a close thing, but still”, glaring, “and that will immediately fall apart as soon as they want to do a systems check or something. Heck! They haven’t even gotten the CyberSteps_ working yet_. Meaning I still got to test prototypes, which is literally impossible to do with having freaking legs again!”.

Sam and Tucker share a look, Sam shaking her head, “you could just be honest? They were chill with a bloody _ghost Core_, Danny, I think they can handle legs”.

Danny glares, “Cores and ghostly tails are solid ecto-energy, _not_ flesh and blood and bone. It’s not the same. That shit can, apparently, just be explained away by me having a somewhat awakened ghost. Legs, fleshy human legs, are not a ghost thing”. 

Tucker shrugs, “could just pitch it as ghostly healing? Though yeah, you almost might as well just tell them everything at this point”.

Danny huffs, he had a point. Considering the sheer amount of ghostly weirdness his folks have just _accepted_ at this point. But still, the whole ‘I’m half ghost! Surprise!’ was more than just being half ghost. It also meant admitting he was Phantom and had been hiding and lying for two whole years. It meant his parents facing the fact that their life's work was effectively responsible for killing their son. That they had spent years telling him to his face how much they really badly and painfully wanted to dissect and destroy him. That they actually _had_ tortured him once and injured him on nearly a weekly bases. Then there was the fact that they saw him get tossed around, impaled, stabbed, lit on fire, gutted, decapitated, cut in half, electrocuted, maimed, shot, and other things he’s probably forgetting, pretty much every day; and they just watched and did nothing to help.

Sure he didn’t resent them for all of that, how could he? they didn’t know. But they would be crushed and hurt, that mattered. And that’s without even mentioning that he would effectively disprove most of their work. And yeah, they had made some headway recently and were finally recognising that created ghosts at least could be a thing. Maybe, just maybe, born ghosts too. Ancients, they were only just now starting to listen to him. Willing to face and accept that ghosts might not be the evil emotionless monsters they always thought they were. Is it so terrible that he'd like them to not hate ghosts _before_ finding out that he _was one???_

Apparently the universe thought so. 

But no, fuck it. He will take this secret fully to the grave before the universes crap -which the Observants probably played a role in because they hate him and want him to suffer- forces this secret to light. Fuck the universe and it’s bullshit. Groaning at the sky anyway, “you know, I always imagined it would be something crazy, utterly impossible, undeniably ghostly; that would bang me up in a life-changing way. Would force secrets to light. Not something so damn simple, so normal, so _human_; as a car crash”. 

Both of them chuckle at him and move to pat at his shoulders. Tucker snorts, “I think it was more car ‘massacre’ than car ‘crash’”. Danny shoves him a little because people fucking _died_.

Sam shakes her head though, “you’re not going to tell them, are you?”. 

Danny snorts and shakes his head a little; happily taking the slight distraction, “naw. Maybe someday, but that someday is not today. Fuck the universes shitty sense of comedic timing”, crossing his arms and glaring down at his legs. He can still feel the whole bandage booty shorts situation, embarrassing but fuck it. He’s going to _make_ Lewis have to witness his shit. Even if it probably won’t make his eyeballs bleed, that guy has seen _way_ too much weird shit to suffer mental ocular trauma from anything. But _still_. 

Tucker and Sam exchange a Look before looking back to Danny and speaking in sync, “spite”.

Danny nods with a slight smirk, “is there ever a better reason?”.

Getting another in synch response, “not dying... further”. Danny waves them off like he couldn’t care less.

Sam shakes her head, “on a slightly serious note, what’s the plan?”.

Danny shrugs, “well should see if I even _can_ still modify my ghostly body on a molecular level to turn solid limbs into a gas”.

Tucker snickers, “and like everything else about you, when you say it technically it sounds like some body horror shit”. Danny just finger-guns at him before going ghost and easily changing to his ghostly tail; promptly doing jazz hands. 

Sam and Tucker nod, Tucker pointing at him, “well that solves that, dude”, continuing at Danny’s raised confused eyebrow, “Danny-dude, just do that half transformation thing and leave your lower half in ghost mode”.

Sam smirks and nods, turning to Tucker and talking like this has already been decided as the plan of attack, “then we can just wrap bandaging over his Phantom legs before he switches to a tail, getting the bandaged look”. Tucker hums his agreement.

Danny sticks his arms out to the side and looks almost offended, “do you know how _hard_ half transforming is to maintain? There’s a reason I never do that shit for more than emergencies or quick jokes”.

Sam rolls her eyes at him, “deal with it”. Danny flips her off. Though really, not much of another option. Having a ghost tail in human form was drastically harder to have and maintain than half transforming.

Danny transforms his upper half back human because, eh why not? And he’s been gone for _a while_. Chuckling down at the black ghostly tail before smirking at his friends, “I’m three halves of a whole now. Half a body, half transformed, and half-ghost in two different ways. I don’t think anyone ever put this much effort into _half-assing_ so many things. All because so much of me just keeps on _dying_. I’m a real _die-hard_ you could say. Really _killed_ any effort for a fully functioning life. My apparent partial lifelessness isn’t a real tear-jerker apparently, so maybe I should add some flavour and start _halving_ onions”.

Tucker grabs Danny’s head and shoves him into the dirt; even if they’re all laughing a bit.

It takes a while before they all calm down, laying in the grass and staring up at the sky. Tucker being the first to speak up again, “so, hows it feel to be amongst the legged again?”.

Danny changes back fully human and crosses his ankles, “very leggy”, earning a round of snorts. Honestly, it was a bit weird. Especially feeling fabric over leg skin for the first time in _days_. He also has never been so aware over how much legs weigh. Sure his human form was always heavier than his ghost one, but wow legs weigh a lot. Well technically legs and pelvis. And it was also weird that having legs again felt weird; really it should feel like a return to normalcy, instead the leglessness had become like normalcy, Either it was really easy to get used to or he was one overall adaptable son of a corpse. It was probably the latter. 

The three scrunch their faces up and groan in sync as it starts raining, lightly at first before suddenly coming down in a torrential downpour; resulting in them scrambling up. Danny transforming and grabbing them up, intangibly and invisibly flying them back to his house. Returning to the visible spectrum in his room. 

Sam takes two steps before stepping in something definitely still wet and grimacing at Danny, “this is why we never take our shoes off”. Danny just shrugs her off while changing back human, feet planting on the ground with a little plop, and flopping face down onto his bed. 

His friends following suit on top of him. Tucker muttering, “ow”, after basically smashing his forehead into Danny’s shoulder brace. 

Danny snorts, “I’m not paying for your concussion treatment”. 

Seconds later Jazz practically slams the door open, “_finally_, where have you been Danny???”. Managing to actually startle Danny (since his nose was blocked by his bed), who startles everyone else by pushing himself up so fast his braces make concerning cracking sounds and his very human legs suddenly becoming a ghostly tail; which completely off balances him and, combined with his momentum, sends him falling to the floor. Landing on his ass/tail base with a startled ‘oof’, just as Maddie sticks her head in the doorway. 

Maddie blinks and looks slightly apologetic, assuming she startled him enough for him to mess up with the floating, “oh sorry sweetie, I came up to let you two, four now I guess, know that supper will be ready in half an hour”, then scrunching up her face and realising something’s not right here. Pointing at his tail, “why is It pink, and covered in hearts?”. 

Danny has to physically bite his tongue to avoid gapping as he glances down at his tail. _What the fuck_. It has never been _that_ _easy_ in human form? And he wasn’t even having to maintain it? The fuck? 

Sam comes to his rescue near-instantly though, “uh, we wanted to see what would happen if he tried putting normal clothing over It and It just kinda _absorbed_ it”. Maddie can’t help but smile at that, kids will be kids.

Danny awkwardly adding, “and it’s not like the, uh, bandaging is a forever thing, and, uh, I don’t think It would, like, look very good flesh-coloured?”. He, in fact, knew It wouldn’t. His mom makes a face and nods while his friends snicker at him, the assholes.

Maddie tilts her head, a little curious _how_ his tail even did that. This didn’t happen when he had apparently had a hoodie draped over It when he first came home? Maybe -what she’s just going to assume is a ‘gift’ from Pamela for Sam. She will never see eye to eye with that woman. Sure her and Jack did push the kids to be hunters, but they didn’t try to control their entire lives- the pants were fairly tight around his tail? She’d ask but considering he looks a little startled, she’s not going to press. Shaking her head, “well hopefully you can undo it, in case this happens with any clothing you _actually_ care about”, frowning slightly, “I also hope this doesn’t interfere with Dan’s work”. 

Danny blinks, still confused enough by his body to be unphased by the Dan name, “uh, yeah don’t wanna go giving him a_ heart attack_”. Everyone shakes their heads. 

Maddie electing to head back to the kitchen, “I’ll call when foods ready”, the door closing behind her. 

Sam and Tucker look to Danny’s pink heart-covered tail then to his face, “Danny, what the Hell”. 

Danny throws up his hands, “I panicked alright!”. 

“Since when does your panic help anything?!?”.

“Since now apparently!”.

Jazz blinks, “I’m going to guess this-”, gesturing at Danny’s tail, “- wasn’t intentional”, putting her hands on her hips, “and Danny, you are lucky mom just waved me off to go check on you and stayed in the lab. You’ve been missing for _hours_. You know how they get". Her chastising earning some apologetic neck rubbing, before Danny emphatically gestures at his tail which suddenly pops into pj-covered legs. Making her jump a little, “oh! Your legs! They grew back!”, quickly moving to sit down on the floor and grab at one of his bare feet. Then glaring at him for suddenly changing back to his tail; leaving her grasping onto the tip of his tail.

Sam and Tucker both jerk a bit from the sudden change themselves, before falling over laughing loudly, the pink heart-covered look was still _not_ flattering. Danny looking baffled doesn’t help either. Though he does eventually snort and start snickering before flopping to lay on the floor laughing with them; Jazz just shakes her head at the trio's antics. 

Danny snickers, “I guess the _hearts_ really _felt_ my _hearts_ deepest desires! Really trying to be _lovable_! Since I was just being a total_ bleeding-heart_ earlier!”. 

Jazz audibly scowls and stands up, “on that painful note, I'm going to help mom. I’m assuming this leg issue was why you just up and disappeared”. Shaking her head when Sam adds in, “and he fell asleep. In a tree”.

Danny throws out his hands, still laying on the ground, “it’s comfy!”, while Jazz heads downstairs. 

Sam eventually glances at the calmly waving tail before looking back to the ceiling, “guess your body got so used to the tail that it comes easier now?”. 

Danny huffs, “no fucking clue”, shrugging, “but probably. I doubt I’d even change back automatically from tiredness or sleeping or injury. So you can have your heart back”, intentionally turning back to legs purely to phase off the pj’s dramatically by flinging them up into the air; easily changing back to a bandage-looking tail. This kinda solved his problem, he still had a tail. Easily and naturally so. And! he had legs too! The best two for one deal ever! Which fine, he was glad to have again. Even though it was straight crazy that he could regrow entire limbs. Half his body pretty much. Sure Lewis has ‘said’ they were regrowing but them _actually_ regrowing was a whole-ass-nother thing. 

The three watch the pj’s float down out of the air onto their faces, Danny snickering and speaking mockingly, “ahhhh._ Heart attack_”. Earning hard hits from his friends. 

Tucker rolls his eyes, “you already used that one today, and are you just going to stick with a tail all the time now?”. 

Danny shrugs noncommittally. The answer was probably yes, in human form anyway. His friends obviously can tell he’s basically come to that decision since they both hit him again, Sam snapping without much feeling, “you fucking idiot”; everyone falling back into silence after, 

Danny contentedly winding his tail around their legs. Which fine, he had become more than a little fond of being able to do that and his tail in general. He has a feeling ClockWork would, and probably is, actively smirking over him just sticking to a ghostly tail; just like them. Which yes, only serves to encourage Danny.

(Off in the far off realm of the Ghost Zone, a couple Observants hand trinkets over to ClockWork; having lost various bets. ClockWork simply smirks, one would think they’d know better by now. But no, most of their egos were a smidge too large. But it was a quite enjoyable way to teach the Observants a lesson about the future not being set in stone... And that Daniel tended to take the uncommon (and thus unviewable to the Observants) route) 

Danny eventually grunting and lifts up his thermos with his tail, “so Skulker wants to harass the doc for my scraps”. 

Tucker snorts, “poor bastard, only just met you and he’s already got a ghostly pest”. 

“Oh I don’t know Tuck, seems more like a fast way to put whether or not the friendly-ish sorta cannibal can eat things past their expiration date to the test”. Danny would kinda like to know if Vee could eat him or not. Sure a human definitely couldn’t, ectoplasm _was_ toxic after all. But again, fucking _aliens_. And Lewis seemingly thinks Vee can eat fucking _everything_. 

Sam pushes herself up to glare down at him, “I find it seriously hard to believe a _cannibal_ is ‘friendly’”. Tucker snickers, “yeah, probably steal your scraps from doctor dude or Skulker for a snack”. 

Danny waves his hand around as much as the braces will let him, “oh he’s clearly a real people person. If they wanted my scraps they coulda just shown up in the _amputee ward,_ they’d have some real _meals on wheels_ then”. 

Sam smacks him over the head with a very disgusted scowl, “your mind is a fucking sin and that so-called ‘diet’ is even worse”. 

Danny smirks, “well if they feel like repenting via a little _taste_ of religion, I know a few annoying priests that show up every month or so”. Seriously, he could really do without those type thinking ghosts were demons, or that Phantom was the ‘anti-Christ’, or Amity was a displaced section of Hell, or that Phantom was the second coming of Christ. Outside of the mixed messages, it was also supremely annoying. 

All three jerk a bit from a very loud yell from Tucker’s pocket, _“Jesus fucking Christ no! We are **not** eating a fucking **priest**! I’m not **that** depraved!-hey don’t you-I liked that coffee pot, you fucker and now look at it? It’s on the fucking ground. No I am not going to just ‘go get it’, you’re the one that chucked it out the window-no don’t you fucking-!”_, followed by some scratching, clattering sounds, and a loud thump. 

The three sit up and Tucker cautiously pulls out his PDA and everyone just stares at it. Danny tilting his head, he’s heard that voice before. Poking the PDA with his tail, “huh, I think Eddie hacked your PDA”. 

Tucker gives him a look of deep offence before looking back to the PDA in question at the sound of a very long string of swears,_ “I’m going to fucking strangle you, I fucking swear. Jesus fucking Christ. Fuck you. I’m going to eat nothing but fucking pickles and salad dressing tonight-bitch don’t tempt me or I’ll set it on fire before I eat it-oh my **god** you baby”_, there’s a bit of stomping and a slamming door, followed by what the three are assuming is the sound of glass jars hitting each other, _“see look at these fucking pickles!-oh fucking **watch** me-oh fuck! Gak. They’re fucking expired. Oh god shit. Why me?-shut up bitch”. _

Danny and Tucker both bend over wheezing, PDA falling unceremoniously onto the bed. While Sam raises her eyebrows and asks sounding almost annoyed, “why is eating veggies a threat? What’s so hard about eating vegetables? Seriously, what’s the hardest part of a vegetable to eat?”. 

Danny snaps his head to her, grins, and shouts, “the _wheelchair_!”. Sam shoves him off the bed shouting, “that’s horrible!”. Danny just lets himself land on the floor. 

_“Oh shit! The phone’s still on. Fuck-WHY WOULD A VEGETABLE HAVE A WHEELCHAIR-different kind of vegetable, Vee. Use fucking Google. Living impaired guy, or whatever, is talking about people-PEOPLE ARE NOT VEGETABLES EDDIE! THEY DO NOT GROW IN DIRT-Jesus, just use fucking google holy shit. And-wait a minute, Dead Guy are you seriously using a fucking **PDA**? No way you’re not old using a fucking PDA, what is this? the fucking nineties?”._

Tucker straightens up and points aggressively at his PDA, “hey! You take that back! You’re gonna hurt Lisa’s feelings! PDA’s are a gift upon us all!”, snatching his PDA off the bed and rubbing his face on it, “don't listen to him sweetie, a phone could never keep up with all your glorious curves and circuits”.

_“What the fuck? Is that what I sound like when I say Vee’s better than humans?-YES. LIKE A DUMBASS-fuck you-MY DUMBASS”._ Tucker jerks away from the mic and everyone makes disgusted horrified faces at the strange kinda wet sounds. 

Sam grimaces deeper, “should we ask?”.

Danny chuckles slightly, “considering Lewis’s tendril comments. No”. He so doesn’t want to hear about that.

A bunch of coughing sounds through the mic, _“why is Dan telling people about my se-”_, get cut off by the three teens shrieking or shouting and Danny shoving a pillow over the PDA. “NO!”.

Danny peals back the pillow and growls a little, “dude there are _minors _here, we don’t wanna hear about that shit. Oh my Zone. And I thought Lewis had a near nonexistent filter”. 

_“Eh whatever. Wait, how many people am I even talking to?-THREE, EDDIE. THERE’S THREE VOICES-well maybe I would have been paying attention to that if **someone** hadn’t tossed me out a fucking **window**-PUSSY-bitch”. _

Tucker starts wheezing again, muttering, “how does this guy maintain a conversation with _anyone_?”. Which yeah, Danny slightly agrees with that sentiment.

_“Hey, fuck you. It’s my **job** to talk to people. I’m pretty fucking good at it-OVER HALF THE PEOPLE YOU TALK TO TRY TO **KILL US**, EDDIE-bitch I don’t see you complaining about that when you get a snack out of it”. _

Tucker wheezes a little more, “how have you not been arrested?”, while Danny and Sam scowl at the PDA in disgust. 

Danny points at Tucker, “their city apparently supports their people eating. It’s, like, common knowledge”, Sam turns her disgusted scowl to him. 

_“Debatable. I think the cops are just scared we’ll eat them-WHICH WE WILL-no! We do not eat cops! How many times have I said that?-STILL GOING TO EAT THEM-no we will not!-EDDIE-no!-WHAT ABOUT CHOCOLATE DIPPED?-Jesus fuck. **No**”._

Sam mock gags, “could we not talk about eating people with a vegetarian present?”. 

Tucker gives her a pouty face, “awww come on, we’ve all got our tastes”.

Danny points at him, “usually not people-flavoured though”.

“Isn’t it just like chicken though?”.

_“No. No it’s not-MUCH BETTER!-I don’t think you’re a good judge of that babe-I AM AN EXCELLENT JUDGE. KLYNTAR HAVE MANY MORE TASTE BUDS THAN YOU FLESH BAGS”._

Tucker scoffs and crosses his arms, Danny’s already preparing for him to say something stupid. “I’m the real meat conisure here, I’ll be the judge of that”.

_“Kid, did you seriously just ask-WE HAVE A SPARE LIVER IF YOU'RE CURIOUS-where the **fuck **did that come from!?!? Where even was that?!?! What the fuck Vee!?!!?! How many times have I said we don’t do take-out!-NOT AGAINST THE RULES IF NO ONE NOTICES-oh my god. That is **not** how rules, or the law for that matter, works”. _

Danny shoves Tucker, “Tuck, what did I say about asking for snacks? Zone dude. Now they’re gonna show up with a fucking _liver_ in a suitcase and with my luck someone else is gonna find that and think I murdered someone”. 

_“Finally got another name, nice. And eh you’d be surprised how easy it is to hide murder and body parts. And how much cops are willing to ignore”. _

Sam snorts, “smooth spooky”. 

Danny blushes a little, whoops, “you have no idea how bad my luck is”.

_“Speaking of spooky, figured that echoey voice crap would sound way more fucked over the phone. You don’t even seem to have an echo. And blame whoever has the PDA, do you just not expect anyone to back-hack you? Sure that was some hard shit and I can’t access **shit**-”,_ Tucker beams very smugly at this, _“-but you hacked me first. What was even the point of that? Even basic research makes it obvious dead guy is based in Amity Park. And you did that just to tell me I got your age wrong-HE’S MORE PETTY THAN YOU EDDIE-that is not a compliment”. _

Danny smirks and transforms purely for his ghostly echoing voice, his friends rolling their eyes knowing exactly what he’s doing. Sam speaks almost dryly, “if anything ever gets spooky over here destroyed, it’ll be his sense of humour”.

Danny chuckles deeply, voice reverberating intentionally creepily, “it’ll be the _death_ of me, seeing as I have _killer_ timing”, waving his hand around, “and us spookies are petty creatures. We wear petty like it’s all that makes us pretty”. 

_“Huh, so you definitely can change your voice. Congrats Vee, your voice isn’t the only one that sounds ridiculously fucking demonic-APPROVE. FAR MORE THREATENING. LIKE A PREDATOR-I don’t think that counts as a compliment either babe-HE HUNTS HIS OWN! IT IS A COMPLIMENT!-eh, I guess? What’s up with that anyway, dead guy?-HE’S A **PREDATOR**, PREDATORS FIGHT, EDDIE. OBVIOUSLY-says the big bad predator who’d rather become one with the couch in a sea of chocolate wrappers and watch Alton Brown make people suffer-THEY DESERVE TO WEAR FLIPPERS AND ARM SPREADERS FOR BURNING THE LAMB!”._

Tucker nods his head a little, “yeah, burning lamb should be a crime”, while a little buzzing sound comes through the mic.

Danny rolls his eyes at him, “that’s the guy from Cut Throat Kitchen isn’t it? Doesn’t he buy stuff from BDSM stores for those challenges”. Tucker nods with a smirk, “and that’s kinky”, and gets smacked over the head by Sam. 

Danny shakes his head and leans over the PDA, “I’m a protective fellow, I beat up ghosties to protect. Ya know, the typical hero schtick, but with _death_. It’s a real _grim_ job, but I absolutely _reap_ the rewards”, looking to Sam and Tucker, “one day I’m gonna cash in all these trauma points for a fucking _yacht_”. 

Tucker quirks an eyebrow, “why a yacht?”. Sam adding, “you know I’ve got one. They’re okay”.

_“One of you has a fucking **yacht**?!? Anne warned me I’d be out of my depth but holy fuck-NOT HARD WHEN YOU’RE PUSSY MADE-how the **fuck** do you know that term?!? And just eat your fucking tater tots”._

Danny snorts, “someone’s a real tater thot”, looking at Tucker, “one, because that’s one thing Frootloop _doesn’t_ own”. 

“Fair”. 

_“Wow you are really petty as shit”._

Danny scowls at the PDA, “dude fucking nearly caused the apocalypse, like, four bloody times”, rolling his hand, “and there’s the whole sorta have a daughter, or cousin, or sister, eh it changes; ‘cause of his cloning stunt-”. 

Danny doesn’t get to continue as Vee butts in with,_ “WE’RE SPAWNING ASWELL-what, fucking what? What the fuck do you mean ‘**spawning**’? No you so do not get to hide in my body after that shit, get the fuck out here bitch. Oh my fuck, what the fuck. **This is what Anne means by** **fucking communication issues.** What the fuck you fuck. Jesus fucking Christ. What the fucking shit. That is not how you tell anyone anything, you fuck. Now I want a yacht to sail away from fucking **everything** and become a fucking pirate. Your oily ass will love that **so much** because there will so many lobsters to shove up everyone's collective assholes but especially yours-SAME ASSHOLE SO GO AHEAD BITCH, THAT WOULD BE **DELICIOUS**-ha! Tricked you with the old lobster summoning, now t**he fuck do you mean spawning!-”**_

Tucker whispers, “Zone these guys have _so many_ issues”. Sam and Danny just nod, not wanting to interrupt this because it is, frankly, _hilarious_. 

_“IT IS NATURAL EDDIE-I sure fucking hope so, otherwise we’ve got a fair few fucking problems going on-THEN STOP BEING A PUSSY WET BITCH-where do you learn this shit? Fucking fourchan? And excuse me for being an emotional asshole, asshole. I think I’ve fucking earned it considering-”._

All three teens turn their heads as Valerie flies in through the window and deactivates her board at seeing them sitting around a PDA but giving it a wide berth. 

_“-I’m apparently fucking **pregnant**!”. _

Valerie blinks as her suit deactivates, “what have I just walked in on”. It sounds more like a cautious statement than a question. 

Danny points at her, “technically, you flew”, she glares at him while he continues, “Eddie’s having some... issues, apparently”. 

“‘Some’?”. 

_“Oh fuck the phones still on. You heard all of that didn’t you? Fuck-DUMBASS-fuck you, this is your fault. I need a fucking drink”. _

Danny chuckles and smirks a bit meanly, “yes, yes we did”. 

Valerie shakes her head and speaks down at the PDA, “are you okay?”.

“**_No_**”, Eddie promptly hanging up. 

Valerie watching the other teens descend into fits of laughter for a bit before asking, “what did I miss?”.

Tucker wheezes, “probably one of the best random meltdowns _ever_”, smacking Danny’s arm braces, “you should probably warn doctor dude you gave his friend an accidental crises!”.

Danny just chuckles, he’s pretty sure he’s never heard anyone swear _that much_ that quickly. And considering he’s somewhat friends-ish with Johnny, that’s saying something. Pointing at Tucker, “for the love of all the Ancients, tell me you recorded that. Because, by the Realms, that was _glorious_”. He also totally wants to show Johnny, and Skulker actually, maybe Ember and Kitty; they’d be fucking impressed honestly. Possibly Pandora too, if only for Eddie just straight up going feral rage mode for a bit there.

Tucker nods eagerly with a wide smirk, instantly being granted a high five; even getting one from Sam. 

As his mom calls that supper’s ready, Danny pulls out his phone; because he is _not_ calling Lewis while he might be having special time with the bone saw. 

_DPain: so stormed Area 51 might being having a mild melt down bout being pregnant _

_DPain: and it might _

_DPain: possibly_

_DPain: maybe_

_DPain: be my fault_

Tucker chokes next to him, “dude, you do realise how that sounds right?”. Making Danny facepalm as the four (not three like Maddie was expecting, but she just sets another plate with a smile and head shake) sit at the table; Danny checking his phone when it goes off. 

_Tiethief: so **you’re** why I have 11 new voicemails _

_DPain: 😇_

Danny barely gets through his (very mushy, fuck you Jazz) mashed potatoes before there’s a knock on the door. It’s not a scent Danny recognises so he tears off Tucker’s hoodie to cover his tail up. Rolling his eyes at the guy’s scowl, Danny _would_ just blink his tail out of the visible spectrum if his not-in-the-know parents weren’t around. While one of said parents, his mom who hadn’t even sat down yet, gets the door. 

“Hello Mrs. Fenton, I’m officer Jared Walker”, the four teens -and Jazz- all choke at that last name and share ‘seriously? Why is this our lives?’ Looks. “I’m here to conduct a welfare check for Daniel Fenton. May I come in?”. 

Danny cringes, this probably wasn’t a good thing. FentonWorks wasn’t exactly... _safe_. Oh who was he kidding? FentonWorks was a mind field of danger and death; and not just ‘cause his dead ass was here. And what if he wants to check out his room? Oh Ancients he absolutely _is_ going to want to check that out. Fuck. 

Sam and Tucker obviously have the same worries as they finish their plates and start to move towards the stairs; probably to make a mad dash to his room to make it not look like a probable biohazard. 

While his mom obviously lets the guy in, would arguably be worse not to, “sure thing, Danny’s at the table having lunch, his doctor’s doing a final shift at the hospital right now though. You could come back later to talk to him? Or would you like me to call him?”. 

Jared steps in and looks at the two teens starting to head up the stairs and then to Valerie, “I’m sure you’d like to hang out with your friend and make sure he’s well, but I’ll have to ask you to leave”, tilting his head not unkindly, “this is a family matter; you understand”. 

The three teens obey, because this is a cop for fucks sake; and they like to at least _pretend_ to be proper law-abiding citizens. Sam and Tucker shooting him apologetic looks and Valerie giving him a little forehead kiss as they leave. Danny makes a damn point to make sure his smile doesn’t look painfully nervous.

Jared looks back to Maddie, “that’s quite alright, I’m sure I could get into contact if I need to”. Jazz offers him tea which he declines, “do you think you could go to your room, Jasmine? I’d like to speak with your parents and brother alone if that’s alright?”.

She nods, ruffling Danny’s hair up as she stands, which he of course scowls at and swats her hand away. Even if that, like usual, only accomplishes making her grin at him. Jazz completely ignores Danny’s bedroom door, knowing Jared would likely notice if she tried to go in. 

(Sam and Tucker outside both decide that trying to sneak into at least clean Danny’s room wasn’t the best idea. Seeing as they had Valerie as a tag along and there was another cop sitting out in the police cruiser on the curb. Plus, cleaning Danny’s room would take a goddamn _while _and would be, frankly, disgusting to do. So they just hope Danny’s got _something _up under his spooky sleeves)

Jared joins the Fenton parents in sitting at the table, sending a smile to Danny, “you doing well today?”. 

Danny gives an awkward nod and knocks his hand brace against his chest brace, “I’ll be better once I’m rid of these stupid things”, making the officer chuckle.

“That’ll hopefully be sooner rather than later”, turning to the parents’, “I'm just here to see how things are going, what sort of accommodations have been made or are being made, the state of the house, how school work’s being handled, and to speak with Daniel privately. Standard procedure”.

Jack beams, ever eager to brag about inventions, “we had a hover cushion built for him before he got home! So he’d have a way to get around right off the bat!”. 

Danny grumbles at the cop, “I don’t like being carried or pushed around”, which was something of an understatement; his ghostly pride could only take so much of that. And that ‘so much’ was _very_ little, ah the joys of being powerful. Made being ‘weak’ all the more bloody fucking awful. Maddie adds in with a warm smile at Danny, “we _did_ order a wheelchair though”. 

Jared looks pleased at this and notes everything down, “hospital approved? And could I see this... hover cushion?”. 

Jack jumps up and gives Danny a curious raised eyebrow, “bedroom, next to the door, dad”, Jack nods curtly and bounds up the steps. 

Jared raises an eyebrow at Danny, “any particular reason it’s not down here with you?”.

Danny blinks, oh because he wanted to get around on his freaking tail and doesn’t need no damn help to get around. He can’t tell this random cop that though. The tail is abso-fucking-lutely staying a secret if he can help it, “uh, it’s pretty snug and Doc said I should let things breathe here and there”, that’s utter bullshit, but probably accurate for normal amputation wounds. Realising he should probably explain how the Zone he got downstairs without it, “and there’s a pretty big difference between friends and family carrying me and, uh-”, blushing a bit both genuinely and to sell the lie, “-the girlfriend carrying me”. 

Jared grins to himself at that, “ah yes, that is pretty different. She handling this well?”. 

Danny nods and smiles, she was handling it about as well as most people would; maybe a little better. Him seemingly giving very little of a damn about his ‘leglessness’ probably helped slightly. After all, she _did_ decide to give the whole ‘them’ thing a shot again. Jack comes back with the hover-cushion before he can even attempt to tell the guy any of that. 

Jack shows off the device and powers it up, show that it does, in fact, work. Jared blinks and grins, “I’ll admit, I’m impressed”, and makes some more notes in his book, “it alright if I take pictures? Purely for documentation purposes. And the wheelchair?”. 

Maddie nods, giving him the go-ahead, while moving to grab up her copy of the documentation for the ridiculous wheelchair Danny ordered and handing that over. “It’s not hospital approved but Dan said it would be fine, he was here when we ordered it”. 

Jared nods acceptingly -obviously aware of who Danny’s doctor was- and tilts his head a little, “expensive, you footing the cost if the hospital can’t cover it? This isn’t a standard type either, athletic wheelchair?”.

Danny nods and grins almost meanly, “have you seen Amity?”, should he be sassing a cop? No, probably not. Jared nods a little, while Maddie speaks up, “we can cover the whole bill if needed. So long as Danny’s happy”. Jared nods and smiles at that. 

“Alright, I’d ask if there’s been modifications to the stairs but you’ve found a different suitable workaround. Same with if everything has been moved to be in reach”, nodding at his notebook before looking back to them, “so how about schooling?”.

Danny rubs his neck awkwardly, “I’m working on the catchup and homework, uh, keyword being ‘working’”. Jared chuckles at that, typical teen behaviour. 

Maddie pats Danny’s head, “Jazz made sure to talk with all his teachers. She’s friends with most of them. Sam and Tucker brought his work home for him”. 

Jared raises an eyebrow at that, “and what about you?”. Jack laughs a bit loudly before rubbing his neck, “ah, the school prefers we don’t come unless we have to. We tend to break things”. 

Danny’s pretty sure that’s a mark _against_ his parents’ in the cops' book. So he tries to save face a little, “ghost hunting is a pretty destructive job”, he would know. Jared seems to think on that for a beat before nodding. 

From what Jared’s heard and seen, ghost hunters were effectively cops here but for ghosts; which were much more dangerous than the average human criminal. He’s not about to fault them for their career. Schools didn’t particularly like cops showing up either, makes people on edge usually. And considering the school turned out to actually be a hot spot for ghosts, ghost hunters showing up out of the blue would absolutely cause at least a little panic. 

Jack laughs a bit more, “plus! Frees us up to work more on the CyberSteps!”. Jared quirks an eyebrow at that so Maddie elaborates, “robotic prosthetic legs. Dan’s been helping as well”. Jack grins wide, “yup! Got to make sure they’re perfect!”. 

Jared blinks, “you are... making your own prosthetics?”. Danny immediately blurts out, “walked on a prototype already. Not, um, quite good yet”, adding because holy shit he knows this is probably all kinds of illegal, Lewis kinda said so, “doc was there”. He’s going to get Lewis in trouble at this rate. He should probably shut up. Shutting up wasn’t one of his notable skills though.

Jared nods, “so you were... under certified medical care?”. Danny just nods, his folks nodding too. Jared notes that down as well. 

Jared is pretty sure there isn’t much to worry about at this point. Bad or abusive parents wouldn’t go to the lengths of creating break through technology. And they were obviously putting the boy first, making him comfortable and happy. But that still didn’t explain certain things and that didn’t mean the house was suitable. From what he’s seen so far the house was... acceptable. Little messy and... odd. There were certainly some strange stains, burns, damages, and technological bits lying around. Certainly unacceptable for a small child, but Daniel was a teen. 

Nodding to himself, “I think that covers that. I’d like to look around now”, with that the Fenton parents’ get up. Jared watches the teen easily manoeuvre into the hover cushion contraption, does a little spin in the air, and sends him an awkward smile. Daniel then squints at him and tilts his head, “Jared Walker... as in J. Walker, like _jaywalker_”, and starts snickering.

Jared rolls his eyes with a smile, “laugh it up kid”, that just makes the teen smirk. 

Most of the first floor is marginally normal, acceptable, when Jack very enthusiastically points out the _weapons vault_ though, “is this secure? And this is just for anti-ghost weapons correct?”. 

Maddie nods immediately, she could see how a cop might have a few _issues_ with this, “designed to be secure, from both humans _and_ ghosts. Ecto-Fiber glass and sheets block them from getting in intangibly”. Danny mentally grumbles, because he had found that out the hard way and it had been inconvenient on more than one occasion. Jared just nods as they head down to the lab.

Jared glances around before raising a slightly disbelieving eyebrow at the parents’, the amount of hazards here were, honestly, _uncountable_. Bits of metal (some being very sharp), wiring, chemicals, samples, weapons, glowing... _stuff_, and the leg creation things.

Jack laughs, “yeah, it can be a bit of a mess! The kiddos are well versed in lab safety though!”. Danny resists pointing out that _he_ usually cleaned the place. That probably wouldn’t win any brownie points. 

Jared blinks and gives a rather disbelievingly, “uh-huh”, before responding in genuine, “is this the normal condition of things? And what about supervision while anyone’s down here? It is more than likely Daniel here will be a bit clumsy for a while”, this was unsafe in so many ways. 

Maddie ruffles Danny’s hair as he grumbles incoherently and blushes, “Danny’s rather clumsy normally”. 

Danny adding, “school _still_ won’t let me handle fragiles”, even though he was much better, fuck you very much. Jared looks just a little unimpressed, he was probably trying to not show the fact that he was _not_ impressed. Which Danny thinks is fair. 

Maddie continues, “but yes this is how things usually are. This is the one place where we have a camera system, so it’s pretty secure and we can see if anything’s going on whether we’re home or not. We didn’t allow the kids down here when they were young, and they had to have one of us with them until they could show they knew what they were doing”. Jack butting eagerly, “a family of inventors invent together!”, shrugging, “or at least are all involved in the process”. 

Danny looks around awkwardly, well aware that he at least partly died because of crappy lab safety on everyone's part. Jared notes somethings and glances at Danny but says nothing. 

What then follows is Jared basically getting the lab tour, asking about nearly everything and taking notes. Eventually coming to the portal, always the last thing his folks showed off since it was their pride and joy, “and this?”. 

Danny gives the blunt answer of, “ghost portal”, because screw him, screwing with people was fun. Jared gives him a Look, which Danny can’t help smirking at, before looking to his parents and raising an eyebrow. 

Jack laughs and smacks the frame, “yup! This baby opens up right into the spookies backyard!”. Maddie grins and adds, “we use it mostly for research purposes, to return captured ghosts, and as a warning system in case of invasions”, then speaking a bit sternly, “going _inside_ _it_ is strictly forbidden and it has a genetic lock”. Danny tries to make it look like he wasn’t paying attention, seeing as he went through those doors almost more often than his front doors. 

Jared still looks rather disbelieving, “you have a portal to another dimension in your basement?”, shaking his head a little, “I mean, I’m glad it has a strong lock. Do ghosts ever come through?”. 

Maddie shakes her head a little, “we have used things to pull ghosts through intentionally. Research you know. But as for them coming through on their own? No”. Danny has to bite his tongue to avoid snorting at that, his folks were insanely oblivious. The portal was literally the _main entryway_ into his home. He’s pretty sure the only ones who don’t almost always use it are Skulker and the Box Ghost. Well, and most animal ghosts. 

Jared takes that answer for what it is and wonders how the Hell you're supposed to rate ‘has a portal to the dimension of the dead under his bedroom’ on literally _any_ safety scale. He’d say this is something that should be in a government facility but the G.I.W. approval rate was abysmal. And with good reason based on basic research. But side-eyeing the teen, he seemed to give the portal a look of fondness actually... and annoyance; but fond annoyance. So he does make a point to mark down that the kid seemed to like the thing, for whatever forsaken reason. 

Jared taps his pen on his notebook, “alright, is there any other rooms other than bedrooms?”. 

Danny does the dumb thing and blurts out, “well, there’s the torture dungeon”, making the guy give a very satisfactory choke. 

Maddie shakes her head at Danny fondly before looking to the officer, “something’s down there are on the medieval side”. Jack just chuckles, “the stockades are more for storage and old school equipment”. 

Danny mumbling, “you mean like the Iron Maiden and other instruments of extreme pain and suffering?”, which Jared thankfully doesn’t hear. 

Maddie smiles, “our family have been hunters for generations, so we’ve inherited older tools of the trade”, shrugging, “some that work, some that definitely don't. Family heirlooms really”. Jared nods at that, anything medieval could come off as ‘torture devices’ and he’s starting to get the feeling this teen has a serious sense of humour and likes startling people. Arguably this seemed on par with people keeping their ancestors' old weapons. Meant for ghosts or not. 

“Alright, so just the bedroom now. Don’t worry, I only need to see his”, and smiles, totally missing Danny muttering, “and that’s not a good thing”. Jared continuing, “just one more question, regarding the family profession actually. Does Daniel hunt as well? With you? If not, are you training him to? If so, how are you taking into account his disability and healing?”.

Jack scratches his head, “eh, Danny-boy’s not particularly interested in ghost hunting. He is pretty good with tech though! Like every Fenton!”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “so no, they aren’t having me running, or floating, around with guns, shooting sentient beings for sport or science”, and he’s not going to mention his dad sorta trying to get him into weaponised prosthetics. Danny’s pretty sure effectively -literally really- attaching guns and knives and stuff to your kids robo-legs would be a big no-no. Especially to an out-of-town cop. 

Maddie smiles and pats his head, “and if he wants combat training, survival training, or anything else of the kind, he can simply ask. I’m trained in a lot of different areas”. 

Jared nods at that, “everyone could benefit from that. Good that you’re not forcing it though”, scribbling down a bit more before closing the notebook and tucking it away, “alright, I think I’ve got a good picture of how things are”, sending the parents a slight smile before looking to Danny, “now you feel up to giving this old man the bedroom tour? I’m certain you, like most teens, know it better than your parents do”. Jared absolutely mentally notes that while everyone laughs at that, Danny’s laugh is a little awkward and nervous; he probably had somethings in there he’d rather his parents not know about. He can’t help smirking slightly at that, ah teens. Danny just glares and gestures towards the steps, everyone heading up. 

Jared nods at the parents’ as they sit at the table while he heads up to the bedrooms after Danny. 

Maddie sitting down with a sigh. Jack speaking up after the two are out of sight, “think he’ll be okay?”. Maddie rubs her eyes, she’s pretty sure them not getting a call about the visit meant there was something else going on, “I don’t know Jack, I’m just a bit worried what Danny’ll say, what he’ll be asked”, looking to her husband, “our house and family isn’t exactly normal or particularly safe, Jack”, biting her lip slightly, “many people might think any child, especially a... _disabled _one, would be better off somewhere else”. Because at the end of the day, Danny _was_ disabled now, CyberSteps or not. And he had been through what was arguably a traumatic event, he seemed fine but still; she’s sure Jazz was keeping a _very_ close eye on him for that very reason. Most people would want a disabled possibly traumatised injured kid in a safe, sturdy, structured, adaptable, loving home and family. Her family had the last two in spades, but the rest? She be kidding herself if she even tried to think their household was ‘safe’ or ‘structured’. She forgot to get him supper till one a.m. for peat's sake! Not to mention actively and repeatedly testing out prototypes on him. Sure there wasn’t another option but still. Even ignoring that, things in the house often reacted to him; usually seemed harmless but not always. 

But at the same time, what family or house could even understand or attempt to support someone like Danny? With his ectoplasm, ghostly tail, and Core? She’s pretty sure Dan was an extreme outlier in being totally unphased by those things, especially being from out of town. And like Dan, her and Jack were _doctors_. Sure it was in a different way and different fields, but they were effectively Danny’s doctors for his more... ghostly things. If anything Danny needed to be here, with his family, more than most teens needed to be with theirs. 

Jack moves to rub her shoulders, “he’ll be fine, he’s a smart kid, Mads. And I’m sure the officer will see that -while weird and unconventional- he’s good here”. 

Meanwhile upstairs Danny is hovering over his bed looking more than a little awkward and Jared is glancing around the room in shock. Jared blinks and scrunches up his nose, “kid, this smells worse than the morgue when the ac breaks”, lifting up his foot and putting it back down cautiously, making a faint squelching sound, “you _know_ I’m gonna need an explanation for this”. There’s no pussyfooting around this, this is worse than literally every crime scene he’s ever been to. And he’s based from _New York_, so that should be saying something. 

Danny chuckles and it’s extremely awkward, “yeah, uh, this probably ain’t gonna win me any points, but I like to joke that my room could make a crime scene investigator cry and the cleanup crew quit outright”, shrugging, “I have been meaning to clean, but uh, it doesn’t really bother me”.

“Kid, that ain’t normal. And that also doesn’t answer how this happened”. Jared is seriously hoping he isn’t dealing with some killer kid situation. Those were awful. 

Danny rubs his neck, not entirely sure there’s any way out of this, he pretty actively screwed himself here, “uh, besides me not being very _clean _being a factor, you’re probably standing in a cesspool of pop, coffee, energy drinks, some cleaning solution stuff from when I actually mildly attempted to clean and just dumped it on the floor and shoved it around with my foot, probably some decomposed food, ectoplasm, and yeah, uh, blood”, then wincing slightly, because yeah, not impressing mr. Cop. 

Jared glances to the floor, blinks, and looks back to the teen. Teens were lazy sure, but this was something else. This was beyond unsanitary, this was a downright biohazard and completely unliveable. And he might know the what, but the why? Heck, even the _how_. For the carpet alone to be _this soaked_, “whose blood. And the ectoplasm? Kid, for your floor to be _this soaked _you’d have to have dumped literal bucket loads of liquids on it._ Bucket loads_”. And watches the teen actively wince, obviously aware of this fact. 

Danny looks around, actively avoiding eye contact, “I mean, you’re not _wrong_. My room’s kinda the ‘hang out’ spot, I guess, for me and my friends. So it’s not strictly _my_ mess”, shrugging, “Tuck’s probably left a fair amount of meat scraps around and I’m pretty sure Sam’s trying to grow a rare fungus in one corner”. Valerie’s probably left a gun or two around too, but he’s not going to mention that. 

“Kid, you have _got to be kidding me_. I know Amity is strange, but this is a little beyond”. 

Danny shrugs again, looking back to the guy, “sorry pal, I’m probably certifiably the strangest kid in the entire town. Me and my friends are literally known as the weirdo trio. Sometimes the defect quartet when Val’s with us”, smirking a little to himself and knowing Sam will love him for this, “we _are_ the weirdos mister”, and grinning cheekily. 

Jared blinks very slowly, this teen just quoted a movie at him in response to him pointing out this was insane and that this floor was a biohazard. He blinks again and elects to just... _ignore_ that, “still waiting on that ‘why’ for the... floor”.

Danny chuckles a bit meanly at the freaked cop before shaking his head a bit aggressively and looking around awkwardly, “ah, uh, it’s mostly, ah, mine? Which yeah I know is probably, like, _super_ concerning. But it’s fine”, no point even trying to lie here, because a bloody fucking _cop_ absolutely could just sample his floor and test it for, well, everything. And if he could avoid Tucker having to hack the fucking cops any more than he already did, by being just slightly honest. Then that’s what he’s gonna do. 

Jared blinks again, arms slack at his side, before walking over and sitting down next to the teen on the bed. Daniel following suit by letting the hover thing float down to ‘sit’ him on the bed; this kid could read people at least a little, “_buckets of blood_ is not ‘fine’, Daniel. And the ectoplasm?”, readjusting slightly, “honesty for honesty?”, something tells him this particular teen was well versed in dishonesty, “the main reason I was sent here is because of some things the first responders and nurses noticed. Namely, that you have a lot of... scarring. Unusual scarring. Does that have anything to do with the state of your floor?”, he’s making a point to try and be gentle here. This officially looked less ‘killer kid’ more ‘battered kid’. 

Danny resists muttering ‘ah fuck, Ancients goddamnit’ out loud; talk about suspicious. He knew one day his scars were going to come and bite him in the ass. What is he supposed to say here? Obviously not the truth. Just ‘oh hey random cop dude, I fight ghosts totally not on the down-low but also technically on the down-low because it’s, like, a super-secret. Y’ know, like most superheroes. And ghosts are, like, totally really into maiming me. Also I’m kinda sorta a little bit kinda dead. So there’s that. My parents and girlfriend also shoot me sometimes, but you totally won’t report that to CPS, right?’. Alright, activate secret protection tactic three; sass and annoy ‘till they leave you the Zone alone. Ancients give him strength, “well first, I really do prefer Danny. I’m totally fine, cool as a cucumber or whatever. And welcome to Amity pal, people get hurt here a _bloody_ lot. Couple abductions here and there, the occasional light stabbing; y’ know the usual. I get that you’re from outta town but that near non-existent crime rate means nothing”, shrugging and leaning back on his elbows, “and yeah the ecto’s mine too, so what I’m a little spooky? Not everyone’s full-blooded legged humans you know”. 

Jared practically flinches back from the sudden change in behaviour. So that’s a check on him being defensive of his scarring. But there was no mention of his parents anywhere there, not to defend them or even to try and claim it wasn’t their fault. So, it’s probable his parents aren’t at fault here. Obviously something was going on, had to be for him to have more scarring than war vets. ‘Nearly more scars than flesh’ they had said. Though oddly his doctor had said nothing on the matter, even said the kid was fine; and he definitely _did not_ report the state of the kids bedroom, which definitely deserved reporting. Furrowing his eyebrows at the kid, who doesn’t drop the ‘insufferable teen who just wants to be left alone and thinks you can shove it’ act for the previous nervous cautious behaviour. The doctor probably knew whatever was going on, or was very corrupt and seriously didn’t give a damn, “does your doctor know the reason behind the scarring?”, thinking on what _Danny _said, “and you have ectoplasm?”, that... that was a new one.

Danny huffs and rolls his eyes, his ecto-contamination was at least somewhat public knowledge in Amity. Dude would hear about it sooner or later, “yeah? So what?”, scowling a little at the cop, “don’t be givin’ doc shit, he’s cool. Knows when shit doesn’t need no reporting, _shouldn’t_ be reported or recorded. I’m _fine_. My ‘situation’ or whatever, is _fine_. Perfectly peachy. Just stellar. We done here?”. Danny is probably not earning any good karma points here. 

Jared blinks, okay, protecting his _doctor_ was definitely not typical abuse victim behaviour. So _definitely not_ the parents’ fault then. He seemed to be blaming Amity itself or the ghost issue instead. Which yes, this town was insanely dangerous and a lot of people -kids included- had scarring; but not to that degree. Maybe he got targeted more because of being related to hunters? Mentally pausing, or maybe he _was_ a hunter and his parents -for some asinine reason- didn’t know? But then again, he said he wasn’t ‘shooting sentient beings for sport’ so maybe there was a conflict in ideals? Maybe he disagreed with his parents so he didn’t want them involved or putting in their two cents? That was fairly common in the force and other departments. But he was also implying that reporting this _in any way_ -not just to his parents- was bad. So maybe something else was going on, or was he referring to having_ ectoplasm in his body_. There were too many variables here, “that depends. Are you in any danger? You need to give me something here kid, Danny. ‘Cause right now your ‘situation’ seems decidedly _not_ fine. Especially since you clearly get hurt a lot yet have an almost impressively sparse medical file”.

Danny huffs some more and rolls his eyes, okay, this wasn’t exactly... working, “I'm _fine_. I’m just a little ecto and Amity’s just a little dangerous”, sighing, “so no, I’m not in danger. In the past or now”. ‘But I fucking will be if you chase my shit’ being left unsaid. 

“And in the future?”.

Danny levels the guy with a serious steely expression and puts just a tiny hint of power into his voice, tail coiling around invisibly, “I will be if you don’t butt out”, maybe warning the dude will get him to fuck off with this?

Jared blinks and nods, not entirely feeling like he’s actually talking to a minor here; which said a lot, “from?”. 

Danny scowls, “not my family. Or friends. Or the doc. Or ghosts, for that matter”, Ancients dude, would you just drop it already?

“That doesn’t leave a lot of possibilities”. 

Making Danny glare, “not your business”. Jared sighs and shakes his head a little, “it rather _is_. It’s my call what happens here, doctor turning the cheek or not”.

Danny scowls at him again, growling slightly because he is honestly getting frustrated here, “a little bit ecto, in the eyes of the government, equals a lot bit not deserving of human rights. And thus a very nice easily findable Christmas wrapped subject for some really nasty things I’d rather not experience”.

Jared blinks a few times, that was... not what he was expecting. But that would explain not wanting things reported, never going to hospitals, not wanting people to look into things, the doctor getting him out of the hospital abnormally quick and coming along, etcetera. Thinking of that, didn’t one of the secretary’s mention government agents showing up? Alright, so this kid was being testy for good reasons. Being defensive to literally defend himself... from his own government. Alright, the best thing he can do for the kid was to do nothing. To fudge his notes and report. Leave in the general weirdness but nothing that would encourage further investigating. This situation was officially way beyond his pay grade. Still though, his priority here was the kid's safety and welfare; not whether or not the government? knew he was ‘a little bit ecto’? “Alright then. Legally I _should_ absolutely report this-”. He doesn’t even get to finish as Danny cuts in with an _actual _snarl, “and doc shoulda absolutely dragged me back to the hospital, your fucking point?”. 

“Jesus kid, I’m trying to extend an olive branch here”, Jared shakes his head when all the teen does is huff, “I’m not saying I’m going to. The governments slightly dangerous opinions and interests in ghost stuff ain’t in my salary”. 

Danny tilts his head and watches the guy for a beat, he seemed honest enough, “so you’re _not_ going to mention my ecto-contamination, questionably bio-hazardous room, battered body, _or_ being overly self-sufficient?”. Talk about dodging one Hell of fucking bullet. Holy Shit. 

Jared blinks, okay this kid knew _exactly_ what was up with his stuff. “I _should_, but I think I’m going to opt-out of doing that. Seems like that would do more harm than good”, leaning forwards a bit, “but when you say self-sufficient...”.

Danny rolls his eyes but relaxes some and lays back on his bed, he’s keeping his damn tail invisible and whatnot though, “put it this way man, Lewis thinks I’m a better surgeon than his lackies and I make a mean lasagna that _doesn’t _randomly gain sentience and try to stab people with knives”. 

“Alright, I shouldn’t have asked”, his scars were _self-treated_, that... that is entirely unacceptable. And he’s just not going to ask about the Fenton parents’ apparently questionable cooking skills. Danny just snorts. So Jared speaks back up, “I take it ecto-contamination is the proper term for being ‘a little ecto’? And that it’s different from the general kind that -according to multiple sources- basically everyone in this town has? Even though your parents failed to mention it. I imagine this probably affects health and care”. ‘Contamination’ pretty firmly implied it being a health thing.

Danny sighs, “‘cause I got it from blatantly and aggressively ignoring nearly all forms of lab safety. Which would probably be a mark against them in your little book. But yeah fine, my ecto is little more unique. Common knowledge, though not really your business”.

“Again, it rather is. But I guess that’s understandable. Does it affect your health and care though? I would prefer to attempt to be thorough”. He’s glad he’s not wearing a wire or body-cam.

Danny looks him over and nods a little, yeah dude could probably get fired for not reporting all this crap. Would kinda make him a dick for no real reason to not answer that, “fair enough. It does, but my folks are pretty aware though. And they’re basically _the_ leading ectologists. If they don’t know how to handle me, then no one does”, no one entirely human anyway. 

Jared nods, enough information to be an answer, vague enough to tell him practically nothing. Kid’s smart. Grunting, “good enough”, squinting, “wait, would another family even be _able_ to look after you effectively?”. 

Danny snorts and actually _laughs_, “are you kidding? No, _of course not_”, as much as his parents being his parents resulted in ghostly injuries and being actively hunted and endless amounts of paranoia; it also saved his half-ghostly ass left right and centre. This legless/leg optional situation would be a bajillion times worse if he didn’t have parents that could build legs and get them to work with his spooky ass. 

Jared shakes his head disbelievingly, so it didn’t even _matter_ how he was being treated/looked after; he literally couldn’t get suitable treatment anywhere else but here. No wonder the doctor wanted him home, on top of the government trying to do who knows what. The doctor was actually looking out for his patients' best interests. “Well then I guess it’s best you’re home then. On that note, how are you coming along treatment wise? Healing well? And the prosthetics?”. 

Danny snorts, “back to normal people questions huh?”, pushing himself up onto his elbows again, “my healings fine. Doctor approved. CyberSteps are getting there. My ecto’s ‘causing issues but also only reason they’ll feasibly work”, looking the cop over and tilting his head, “you're asking me shit, so I’mma ask you shit. You got any dead relatives who were really into white and a real stickler for rules. Maybe was a prison warden or sherif in the nineteen hundreds? Or maybe a mafia member that went to jail? Has a thing for black fedoras?”, he _has_ to ask, ‘cause it would be just his luck to get stuck with a relative of Walker’s. Not to mention a relative of Walker’s that isn’t a dick and doesn’t utterly despise him. Yet at least. 

Jared raises both eyebrows a bit disbelievingly, “Cordell Walker was a mafia member that worked up to being a prison warden after serving time there, nineteen hundreds yeah. How did _you_ know that?”. Jared is insanely confused and a bit freaked out. Shaking his head, “that’s... good that the prosthetics might actually work”. 

Danny glares at him and mutters, “Ancients _seriously_? Why me”, tilting his head and laughing, “wait so he actually was a _criminal_?”, then starts laughing at Jared’s confused nod, “oh my _Zone_! HAHAHAHA oh man! I am _so _bugging him about that. Oh he’s not living that down!”, pausing to snort before adding, “_literally _not _living_ that down”, and flops to lay down on the bed, laughing more. Waving his hand at the confused cop, “don’t worry about it. It’s just- wow haha. It’s just that your great-grandpa, or whatever, locked me in jail a couple times”, continuing at Jared raising his eyebrows almost comically, “he’s the warden of a ghost prison just inside the portal. So, uh, congrats I know your family. He kinda hates me though so. And he’s kinda a dick, no offence”. 

Jared blinks, “I... don’t think I have a response for that and I’m pretty sure this almost qualifies as a conflict of interest”. There isn’t any kind of training for ‘subject knows your dead relative and was apparently arrested by them once’. Swallowing, “what did he... arrest you for?”.

Danny blinks and laughs awkwardly, “uh, first time was driving illegally pretty much. Second, possession of illegal... _things_. And after that there’s been a lot of other things. Something like ten jail breaks slash destruction of prisons. Probably gives me another assaulting an officer and resisting arrest charge every time he sees me. Honestly man? He’d arrest me just for existing”, tilting his head, “I think he actually _has_ arrested me for that”, chuckling, “like I said, he hates me and he’s a dick. Pretty sure he’s got a cattle prod with my name on it, literally. One of my scars is from him attempting to brand me”. 

Jared blinks really harshly at that, he had heard Cordell was a sadist but Christ, “Jesus, that is insane in all honesty. I had heard some... less than pleasant horror stories about him but that seems a bit... much. He was the first cop in the family though, and many of us did brag about having mafia roots as kids”, shaking his head, “I certainly still do”. And this teen apparently destroyed prisons, what is up with this kids life?

Danny snorts, “I would too”, ‘cause come on, having roots to the _mafia_ is just plain cool. Shrugging, “I could give you a really wild story to take back and uh, set up a meeting or something? Y’ know, in return for not possibly getting me tortured and killed? Or having to hack your police system stuff?”.

“Are you... _bribing an officer_?”, Jared is out of his depth with this kid, and he is absolutely positive he has a very mischievous side and very little regard for the legality of things.

Danny snorts, “not even close to the most illegal thing I’ve done. And might please Walker- uh, ghost Walker, some”, shrugging, “technically I’m bribing _two officers_”, and smirks devilishly. 

Jared is pretty sure he shouldn’t be encouraging this, but this was... an opportunity that really was otherwise impossible. Meeting long-dead family that were something of a legend was quite the offer, “you are a rather sneaky teen, aren’t you? I can’t say I’m going to turn that down. But are you really well enough to do something like that?”. 

Danny snorts and mutters, “if I’m well enough to get punched in the face, then I think the fuck so”. Jared pretends he didn’t hear that, he’s decided he really just doesn’t want to know. Danny looks to him, “eh, it’ll be fine. Just maybe _don’t _call him Cordell, dead-naming a ghost is a good way to get stabbed or shot or maimed or a lot of other painful things. He just goes by Walker now”. 

Jared nods dutifully, yup he’s officially ‘compromised’ and no longer unbiased with this case. Best he keeps that to himself though, kid’s probably banking on this being a way to ensure he keeps his mouth shut. This kid was bolder than he seems, definitely not as ‘in the background’ or nervous as he acted at first. That was probably just a tactic to avoid people looking into his shit.

Danny smirks, “cool, I’ll coax him into the mortal realm at some point. Gives me an excuse to annoy the heck out of him”. 

“You’re more of a trouble maker than I pegged you for. Please avoid breaking the law to do that”. 

Danny blinks, “uh, no?”, activating the hover cushion and hovering around his room to adjust somethings, “so, any more questions that are ultimately pointless?”.

Jared quirks an eyebrow, “honestly? No. Since you’re right, there isn’t any point. But I really should ask what kind of punishments you get?”, he’ll get more than just looked at funny if he doesn’t ask the most basic child abuse question out there.

Danny shrugs, “a stern talking to? Maybe them having a meeting with a teacher and scaring them? Another parent/son bonding thing that turns into getting almost eaten by swamp monsters or getting abducted by the mayor and hunted for sport by his personal ghost science experiments? Getting shown more videos about how not doing my chores will blow the house up and kill everyone?”. 

Jared glares at the kid who smirks, “do you just want me to have to scrap everything?”, grumbling to himself and jotting down in his little book, “I’ll just write down the first two”, before looking back to the kid, “what _are_ your chores anyway?”.

Danny smirks, no point lying now might as well go all in, “cleaning the lab. Yup, the ecto-contaminated kid that reacts to hunter tech and ecto is the one who cleans the place filled with those things”, why his parents had _him_ clean the lab was beyond him, not that he minded. Was a good excuse to snoop new inventions or drop off a ghost or two in the portal. Speaking of that, what the heck’s he gonna do with Skulker? If he releases the dude he’ll probably chase down the doc. Eh he’ll warn the guy to keep a bone saw on hand or something. Chuckling at the cop, “also vacuum the walls sometimes”. 

Jared blinks, “neither... neither of those are normal. You have got to be kidding me. Why?”. 

Danny shrugs, “no idea man. Though now I don’t have any chores, well except the chore of healing”, and floats over to the door, gesturing to it, “so we done? Cool to leave the crime scene?”.

Jared stands and lifts his phone, “I actually _need_ to take some photos of your room, so maybe try to make a section _not_ completely nightmarish?”. 

What then proceeds is the two moving around a few things and Danny dumping a pile of cloths over a particularly unpleasant looking square of carpet, so Jared can get his photo. He also takes photos of the star-covered ceiling, hand-built rocket models, and his computer video-game set-up. Noting the space flight simulators, “you a fan of space? I have a cousin who’s an astronaut you know”. Danny zips right over into his face, causing him to fall on his ass, Danny stays in his face and follows him though, “_what_! Oh my _Zone_! What missions have they been on?!? Wait, have they been on any?!? Did they get to go to any planets?!? Or a satellite?!? What was the recovery like?!? Oh! Oh! What’s wearing an _actual_ spacesuit like?!?...”. 

Alright, Jared thinks, this kid was a little freaky and was officially seriously freaking him out. Interrupting Danny’s word vomit, “uh... I don’t know? I think ‘like’ might have been an understatement, you’re a bit... obsessive”. 

Danny huffs and glares at the guy, how, no seriously how could he not know? Not ask? “You disappoint me, and shut it. Side-effect of the ecto”, practically hissing, “and I’m_ interested, **not obsessive**_”. He _knows_ a little echoey ghostliness came out there ‘cause space is not his Obsession. 

Jared nods slowly and blinks at the wide-eyed teen that he’s pretty sure hasn’t blinked in a _while_, “uh sure thing. Could I... maybe get off the floor?”, which now that he’s not focused on the kid going a bit crazy, he’s noticed said floor is a bit more than foul-smelling.

Danny stares a little more and realises he’s effectively pinning the guy without actually touching him, backing off but grumbling, “deserved it, family goes to space maybe and you don’t know shit about it? Ridiculous. At least Lewis would _ask_”, Lewis was a curious dude, Vee just didn’t know _shit_. 

Jared gets up slowly and makes a point to get out of the kids bedroom, the kid shooting him glares like he’s committed a crime the entire time. 

Jasmine sticks her head out of her bedroom too, “everything alright and good now?”, looking from the slightly freaked cop to her slightly wide-eye brother who’s grumbling incoherently, “Danny stop frightening the guests”. Danny grumbles incoherently a bit more but in ghost just to be creepy because let it be known, he was a dumbass. 

Jared studiously ignores the... sounds? the kid is making and lifts up the notebook, “we’re good here. My partner’s waiting so I should get going”. Jared heads down the steps, spotting the sister putting her hands on her hips and looking unimpressed at Danny, “what is _wrong with you Danny_? Are you _trying_ to make him suspicious?”.

“His cousin is an _astronaut_ and he knows nothing, _fucking nothing_, about that?...”, and looks to start wide-eyed ranting, which Jasmine looks fond? over. This family was... weird. 

Nodding his head at the parents, who smile and look relieved. Telling him they were rather... aware, things weren’t _really_ acceptable here. And here he was not reporting that because of a bribe of all things, and honestly? after that performance, he’d rather not see what that kid’s like mad. That’s not mentioning how awkward working with the Fenton’s would be if he did report this. Again, they were basically cops here; their own ecto-department, alongside the Red Huntress. 

Maddie jumps up to get the door while Danny and Jazz come down the stairs to see him off, only for Danny’s ghost sense to go off and a (very manly) scream sounding from outside. Everyone rushing to the door to see Ember literally standing on the cop car hood, her stomping on the windshield with one boot and telling the ‘piggy to lick her boots’ and moving to strum her guitar. 

Danny’s folks of course run out guns blazing, while he silently slips into the background to transform; and Jared rushes over to his partner, grumbling about Chester being more of a greenhorn than him. Chester, meanwhile, is wide-eyed, back stiff, and clutching his chair seat for dear life.

Danny Phantom flies out -with his ghostly legs being, in fact, legs- to the sight of the cops trying to peel out of here while shooting their standard issue ecto-pistols at the ghost. His parents chasing said ghost, who’s of course mocking them and sticking out her tongue. 

Ember shouting, “babypop!”, as soon as she sees Danny and floating straight at him. So he does the smart thing and leads her on a little goose chase. Which, in typical fashion, results in him getting a guitar powered fist-shaped sound wave punch straight into the side of a building. 

She shouts at him, “my babypops been missing a while Phantom, know anything ‘bout that?!”. Danny snickers, “you know, you calling us _both_ babypop raises some serious questions”. 

“Oh can it”. 

Making Danny laugh and shakes his thermos a little, “already _canned_ the _tin can_. Care to join? Not sure how much makeout room there is though”. Which promptly gets him slammed into the road, “keep this up and I’ll put a _cement lock_ on the thermos!”.

She rolls her eyes and readies her guitar again, “that won’t work, we can phase through cement, dipstick”.

Danny pauses and holds up a finger, “actually, my folks are making a mass-producible ecto-cement”, shrugging, “which I’m sabotaging because oof, imagine slamming into a ghost proof wall mid-battle?”.

Ember chuckles, “yeah, would really ruin the vibes. Speaking of _vibes_, try these sound waves out”, and turns the nob to something Danny’s pretty sure is new. Great. Watching, and failing to dodge, a pink line of sound slice through the air... and his shoulder. 

Danny watches the arm go flying into someone’s garden, “wow, some really _cutting edge_ beats you’ve got there”, and promptly dodges another pink line. 

The fight again pausing when the dude who owns the garden throws Danny’s arm back at him, which he just lets it bounce off the side of his head, “way to get dismembered _asshole_!”. 

Danny holds up a finger to Ember, “one second”, looking to the guy as Ember crosses her arms. Danny snatching his arm out of the air and tucking it under his armpit, “okay first off, dismemberment requires multiple limb removal; I only lost one. Two, I’ll admit my arm wouldn’t make very good fertiliser, but was that _really_ necessary? And three-”, smirking, “-thanks for the _hand_. I’ll make sure to _put my act together_. Got to stay _handsome_ after all”. Turning to Ember and speaking quiet enough the scowling guy won’t hear; though Ember shooting him a few miles away into a tree helps, “got a girl to impress, ya know. I like to think she prefers the whole over bits and bites”. 

That gets Ember to pause and actually smile, if this were a video game a little ‘!’ would have likely appeared over her head, “oh! You’re dating again? The goth? I’d ask if it was the techy but you said girl”. 

Danny throws his hand out to the side, “why do you all always think I’m dating them?!?”. 

Ember snorts, rolls her eyes, and puts a hand on her hip, “your two humans are attached at the hip to you. How are you _not_ dating them?”. 

Danny pinches the bridge of his nose, “we’re close so what? I’m a protective asshole who likes to keep what’s mine close. Fuck off. I’m dating Red for your information”. 

Ember giggles and shakes her head, “silly boy, and nice to see your death wish is still intact”, readying her guitar to restart their battle, “she know you’re one of us yet?”.

Danny chuckles as he stretches out his torso to avoid another fist blast, “naw, that info’s still _ghosting_ her”, earning both another head shake and a pink slicing blast from the ghost. 

* * *

Meanwhile, Lewis is just now taking his last shift break. Flipping through the Amity news because again, being prepared is nice and Danny’s a verifiable walking time bomb for physical injuries. And surprise surprise Phantom him is currently practically eating a tree with his face fighting some rocker chic. Eddie would probably ask her for a night of fun or something; though she might _might_ be a minor. Maybe? It’s hard to tell. Well whatever, she’s currently smacking Danny over the head with her guitar. Squinting at the screen before sighing, the kid’s arm is _definitely_ not attached to him. So check his arm brace, check his stitch work, make sure his bones are aligned right. Watching him get hit over the head _again_, maybe he should ask if Danny even can get concussions; he hopes not. 

Quirking an eyebrow at his phone ringing, pausing the video, “hello?”.

_“Dr. Dan Lewis? This is Jared Walker from the Amity police department”._

Lewis sighs, why does he feel like Danny’s at fault for this, “yes?”. Just the same as Eddie is literally always at fault whenever the San Francisco police call. 

_“I just finished up with a welfare check on Daniel Fenton, and just wanted to confirm that he’s indeed medically alright and that someone **other** than the Fenton parents’ are keeping an eye on the kid”._

Lewis grimaces, oh no way that went well, “he’s better than anyone else would be, so he’s quite fine; no need to worry. After this shift I’ll be taking something of a leave to stay at the Fenton household, I do intend to keep a rather close eye on him. That is my job after all. Do you need anything from me for your report?”. Danny must have done _something_ to keep this guy from just outright reporting that the house was ridiculously unsafe. 

_“No, that’s alright. I think I’d rather not know whatever it is you do know”, alright so Danny definitely did something, something a ‘normal’ person wouldn’t really approve of, “so long as there’s someone more... responsible, watching him I’m not going to concern myself. Try to get him to clean his room, I doubt this’ll be the last time someone raises the alarm about that kid. I doubt ‘I know your dead grandparent’ is something he can pull again. And most less seasoned cops would not have reacted well to nearly being assaulted”. _

Lewis sighs, Danny seriously can not keep his nose out of trouble. Though _assaulting a cop_ is something he’d expect from Eddie _not_ Danny. Though in Eddie’s case, the cop wouldn’t be alive to talk about it. “I’ve told him as much. I do hope my patient wasn’t too much of a hassle, he can definitely be a bit odd. Though that’s hardly unusual for the family”. 

_“Oh I’m aware. That kid is a bit more.... startling though. I don’t envy you. Thanks for taking my call, I imagine you’re a busy man”._

Lewis chuckles, “he hasn’t tried to kill or eat me yet, so he’s a fairly enjoyable patient. Very _interesting_. Have a good day”.

“_Yeah..._”, Lewis is pretty sure he hears the guy mutter, _“what is up with people today? Everyone’s a goddamn nutcase_”, before hanging up. Lewis barely gets the time to chuckle down at his phone before it pings from that private server Phantom chat. 

_DPain: so_

_DPain: that spooky from fore might _

_DPain: **might**_

_DPain: be lowkey coming for you for my scrappy bits_

_DPain: also_

_DPain: mighto scared a cop_

_NightShade: made pig squeal_

_Tiethief: so he told me_

_Tiethief: should I just give the spooky what he wants?_

_DPain: put it in a present, throw it at his face screaming bomb!_

_PDAxpda: not like you need it_

_NightShade: n tinman might actually stab you or something if you don’t _

_Tiethief: that is a rather convincing argument_

Lewis tosses his phone into the tray, hopefully this ghost doesn’t show up mid-surgery. 

And he showed mid-surgery. Very mid-surgery. As in, hands in someone’s intestines kind of mid-surgery with a number eleven scalpel. All his underlings just hug the walls, or slowly move out of the room, effectively leaving him holding a guy together by himself at the table. Cowards. Lewis swallows and is impressed with himself at sounding calm and slightly bored, “do you mind? I am rather busy. The secretary could give you a number if you need something”.

“Where’re the whelps skinnings?”. 

Lewis sighs, lifts up the hand holding the scalpel and points it at the ghost, “rude. As I said, I have my hands full. And I imagine the ‘whelp’ wouldn’t appreciate my patient keeling over from your pestering”. Here’s hoping the ghosts are sorta friendly with Danny at least slightly and really are against using someone's Obsession for a cheap shot. 

Skulker blinks and internally winces slightly, well aware of the whelps protective Obsession, “fair play to you. I will wait. Here”, and nods curtly.

Lewis raises a very disbelieving judgmental eyebrow, “no you’re not. I somehow doubt you are even close to sterile. And I would rather not have to explain to his wife how he mysteriously got ecto-contamination during surgery”. Lewis is honestly surprised the ghost tilts his head, shrugs, and just... _leaves_. Ghosts were very _interesting_. Though he’s not about to hang up his doctor coat for the ghost hunter spandex. 

Brittney walks up next to him, shaking slightly and readjusting her glasses, “Dan?”.

Lewis simply gets back to work, gesturing the others over, “yes?”. Thankfully they listen and also thankfully no one passed out on him this time.

Brittney swallows, “what the _fuck_”. Which just makes Lewis chuckle. 

* * *

Two hours later Lewis snaps off his gloves into the trash and turns sideways to nearly crash right into the ghost. Sighing, ghosts were incredibly determined bastards. Looking at the ghosts grinning face, “this better not become routine or I’ll have to start removing _your_ organs or something along those lines. You’re already dead, so it wouldn’t count as malpractice”. 

“If you make a habit of taking parts of the whelps pelt, then _gladly_”. 

Lewis tilts his head, that was kind of tempting; but he’s pretty sure he’ll pass. “He doesn’t need it so I don’t see why I would”, now to figure out how to deal with this, he didn’t exactly have Danny’s scraps on hand; though he had been effectively given the go-ahead. Eh he’ll just walk out to his car, slowly, and drive home, _slowly_. Peoples reactions could be interesting and annoying the ghost might discourage him from doing this again. He could do without ghosts showing up in his ER. Walking off and gesturing for him to follow, “follow”.

Skulker raises a metal eyebrow, “very few would dare turn their backs on the mighty Skulker”. Impressed or insulted? The doctor had turned his back on the best hunter in all the Zone at their previous encounter. And the doctor had already threatened him with a weapon. So Skulker’s leaning towards impressed. 

Lewis chuckles, “if you hurt me I have one friend who’ll beat you up and another who would eat you; or at least very aggressively try to”, tilting his head as he walks, “and a fiancée who would sue you out of your lair and everything you own”. Glancing at Skulker, who of all things looks impressed. 

Skulker nods curtly, “you and the whelp run in fine circles”, explains this new apparent human pet. The little whelply Prince wasn’t one for acquiring new pets. 

Lewis chuckles as they pass a few nurses who looking to be trying to point out the hulking metal ghost following him like he somehow hadn’t noticed, speaking towards them, “I’m aware. Just ignore him”, then addressing said ghost while the nurses undoubtedly add this to the gossip mill, “you seem impressed”. 

Skulker laughs, “a good prize should be impressive! The boys accomplishments are many, he is strong, and he is _rare_”, and grins more than a little viciously. 

Lewis pauses as they get halfway across the parking lot, turning to Skulker, “so you respect him then. You care”, shrugging, “in a way”. 

Skulker huffs and very obviously pretends to not give a damn, “a hunter respects the hunt and fellow hunters, that is all. And it wouldn’t due for him to fail to someone pathetic and unworthy”. 

Lewis can’t help but laugh, “a friend of mine is like him, none of their enemies respect them. They just don’t want them to murder them. Mind you, most of their enemies die the first time they meet”. Lewis pulls out his phone as Skulker grunts, “skilled hunter”, which Lewis nods at as he walks. 

_Tiethief: metal spooky with lots of guns already here and apparently respects you_

_Tiethief: but is also trying to pretend he doesn’t _

_Tiethief: he is not a good actor_

_DPain: eh_

_DPain: he’s helped me the odd time_

_PDAxpda: well that was fast_

_PDAxpda: guy knows what he wants_

_DPain: he isn’t trying to hurt you is he_

_Tiethief: no_

_Tiethief: no need to be overprotective_

_Tiethief: I’m just taking him to get scraps slowly_

_Tiethief: **very slowly**_

_DPain: *snort* hahahaha **food**_

_DPain: ***good**_

_NightShade: make him swear not to tell vampireass monochrome’s leggy situation in return _

_DPain: oh shit_

_DPain: smart_

_DPain: why didn’t I think of that_

_PDAxpda: ‘cause you’re a dumbass_

_NightShade: our dumbass_

_DPain: hsiabdajbfje_

_DPain: rocker **just** asked if I was dating you assholes and you go and say shit like that_

Lewis shakes his head as he hops into his car, sending off a final,_ Tiethief: you’re young, live a little_, before driving off; being followed by a freaking ghost. He knows the punning he probably just encouraged but that only makes him smirk at the other two teens expense. They messed up his patient files and made Eddie practically blow up his phone while getting _insanely_ dangerously drunk and probably killing someone to blow off steam (neither of which was all that uncommon but still; doesn’t mean he wanted that bad habit encouraged), paybacks a bitch; and apparently punny. 

By the time he gets to his place he’s pretty sure the ghost is suitably annoyed. Heading in, he’s glad Anne’s still at work, better to not drag her into this. Not that she would likely mind. Would handle it with the controlled grace and power she always did. Glancing at the ghost as he moves to one of the closets, “now this stays between us, no need for Vlad to know. As far as that old friend of mine knows Danny never lost his legs. We are messing with him some”. 

Skulker huffs, “I only tell him anything because he pays me”, taking a bag from the doctor guy and glancing inside. Grinning extremely maliciously, “and this outweighs any money or upgrades”. 

Lewis nods and puts his hands on his hips, “another form of payment for this little gift could certainly be leaving Danny alone enough to study. He'd make a nice surgical assistant”, smirking, “he’s very good with a knife and stitch work”. 

Skulker tilts his head and chuckles, “pestering the whelp is half the point. The potential of him spending his human time cutting people up and_ taking others scraps _is tempting though”. Making the Prince even more of a little hunter was _very_ _tempting_. He cared not one bit for that space whatever human job he was chasing before. So the boys studying meant nothing. 

“Then bite the Eden’s apple. I already offered the kid a job”, shrugging, “granted he makes it through medical school”, glaring at the ghost purely to make a point. Feeling very smug at Skulker seeming annoyed but smiling slightly; not that it’s easy to tell with the metal face. 

Lewis chuckles, “also, I appreciate you making him regrow his legs. Now I don’t have to knock him out”. 

That gets Skulker to give him an almost concerned seeming look, “you have a ghost knockout device?”, which Lewis just grins at as the ghost promptly leaves. Well, he just successfully intimidated a ghost. Like symbiotes and MRI machines. Looking out the window to the dark sky, it’s about time he checks in on his patient properly; and probably patches him up yet again. That kid needed to just have a doctor shadowing him at all times. 

* * *

Danny flops his head into Valerie’s lap, tail swishing lazily in the air at random. Sam and Tucker are lobbing chunks of mystery substances at each other. Valerie pats his head, “I still can’t believe you _bribed a cop_ and got away with it”. 

Danny chuckles meanly before going slightly wide-eyed, “oh yeah! And get this, Walker’s first name was apparently Cordell. Cop’s his grandson or something”. 

Tucker gets hit in the head by something purple and fuzzy, “_seriously_? Your luck man”. Making everyone laugh just as Maddie sticks her head in, “the next CyberStep prototype is ready, sweetie”, looking around the room, “oh! You kids are still here? You really should head home and let Danny rest”, almost glaring at Valerie, “you especially missy. Danny being... endowed... or not”; 

Danny wheezes in laughter while everyone else chokes. Valerie promptly hits him, so he manoeuvres his tail to poke her in the head; she, of course, swats It away. Sam however, surprises him by grabbing It and yanking him to the floor as she goes to stand, Tucker following as they move to leave. 

Sam eyeballing Valerie, “well?”. Who sighs and leans down to give Danny another pat and a kiss before getting up to leave herself. 

Danny sticks his arms up at her, “lift me, am baby”. Valerie snorts and leans down lifting him up, “yes, big scary baby”. Danny laughs with a high pitched voice very intentionally, “spooky scary skeleton baby”. Valerie groans and drops him on the bed, “you’re awful, you damn fool”, shoving his head into the blankets. 

Danny chuckles, “you’re the worst, you stupid fool-lover”. She just snorts while Danny stays there, with his face smushed into the bed as they actually do leave. 

His mom coming over after she’s sure his friends have gone. Her sitting on the bed and patting it, giving his shoulder a little rub, “you _are_ okay with testing the CyberSteps right? And the way the house is? It’s setup? You can get to everything fine?”, continuing as he turns his head to her, “I know we haven’t really been treating this like you actually _are_... disabled. We’ve been treating this like you’ll pretty much go back to normal”, sighing and looking to the ceiling, “I know with the CyberSteps you’ll be able to walk again, have legs again. But it’s... it’s not the same. And I don’t- I don’t know if _you_ want _us_ to teat you like you’re no different. Not give you extra help or do things for you”, looking back to him and ruffling his hair a little, she can tell he’s thinking, “I know you want the general public to treat you the same and not even know anything’s happened. But us? I guess what I’m asking sweetie, is if you like the way we treat you”, trying to lighten the mood a little, make this seem less serious, “and no, by help you out I don’t mean babying you. I know you don’t like that”.

Danny opens and closes his mouth a few times. His mom was obviously worried and was definitely always going to be bothered by his leglessness, but he wasn’t _actually_ legless. But revealing that was more than a little unpleasant sounding. Regardless what his friends say,_ regrowing human(ish) flesh and bone_ was not the same as developing a ghostly tail. It wasn’t even in the same _realm _of same. _Literally_. Humans do not heal like he does. Not even close. And him revealing he doesn’t _heal like a fucking human_ is absolutely going to make them question if he even _is human anymore._ If he’s been too changed by his Core and contamination to qualify as human. And his parents deciding the answer was ‘no. Not human’ was nightmare fuel that he simply _did not _want to face. That, his hybrid status, was getting pried from his _cold dead hands_, when it came to his folks. And besides, even if he _did_ tell her, then she’d be worried about his weird-ass healing and humanness. Which she would probably be more bothered by than him technically being ‘disabled’. So that’s solved. Kinda. Not really. Something tells him that having legs -real ones- while human was going to be an uncommon thing; too risky to have them often. He has a distinct feeling that is making ClockWork smirk meanly at him.

(ClockWork was, in fact, watching the near future with a smirk; and drumming their fingers over their staff almost in eager anticipation)

Now the other dilemma Danny’s having is this whole ‘do you want us to treat you the same/help you/modify things for you’ question. He means, the answers were obvious to him: yes/no/no. But his mom was obviously having at least a little bit of a hard time with treating him like nothings changed. Obviously she wanted to help him. And that made sense. She was_ his mom_, any mom would want to help their _disabled kid_. That meant he needed to give her a reason, make her feel good and better about him not wanting that. She needed to feel like she was helping him by _not_ helping him. Huh, talk about an oxymoron. And funnier, doing that would make him feel _helpful _and his Obsession at least a little content. But the question was, how to go about doing that? Tilting his head -and knowing damn well his mom is just letting him sort through his head- he _could _just be honest? in a different way. He disliked being babied, them helping him when he didn’t goddamn need it, because of his ghostly pride. Because of that ghostly part of his mind. His ghostly brain. Which his mom _had_ asked about. Had asked how his mind was different, was more ghostly. He could just..._ tell her?_ That’s pretty well what she wanted right? and it would keep her from being all weird about this. Maybe anyway. Hopefully. But also _how_ to explain that? He wasn’t kidding that he really seriously didn’t know just how different his mind was. Where did his human pride end and his ghost pride begin? He had _never_ liked being babied, but he definitely hated it much more since the accident. But he’s pretty sure full human Danny wouldn’t mind his folks doing things for him or putting stuff in easier reach. Heck! full human Danny would probably want nothing to do with robo-legs; especially robo-legs made by his explosion prone parents. Full human Danny would probably be fine being pushed around in a wheelchair. Halfa Danny _definitely wasn’t. _

Swallowing, alright brain, time to be on the ghostly side. Huh, for once he was actively wanting to be ghostly around his family, “okay uh, I think that -me being bothered with being babied so much- is a ghost brain thing. And um, you guys trying to help me unnecessarily -as in I could honestly do it myself just fine- is babying to me. Wounds my pride I guess”, shrugging. It didn’t help that he was a powerful ghost. He was a proud bastard alright? Ghostly proud for sure. Nowhere near as bad as Vlad though. That guy was, like, sixty percent pride or something. 

Maddie nods, making a point to not look too curious, she can tell a bit that Danny’s more certain about this than he’s letting on. So he was clearly not comfortable yet talking about how his... Core and ectoplasm affected his mind. Meaning this was probably him testing the waters a bit, him taking a bit of a leap of faith. She could understand that, it made sense, him hide anything about himself he thought was ghostly was what he was used to. He had ghost hunters for parents after all. So she needed to not be bothered by this, just like the tail and Core. But also just like with those, she _was_ bothered, she just had to work on that and not let it show; because upsetting him, making him feel like he still had to hide parts of himself, would bother her much more. Though to get any confirmation that his mind has changed, who he is, his personality; was harder to swallow than his physical body being a bit different. And here, he probably had a point. She thought he had been more self-sufficient, more caring about his looks, and more capable as a teen. She had chalked that up to growing up, but maybe that was his ghostly influence showing. Tilting her own head, “well ghosts _are_ prideful things. So I guess you being more proud, in a ghostly way, would make sense. Do you... have different kinds of pride? Like, human pride and ghostly pride?”. Not ‘ghost pride’ because he’s _not a ghost_; no matter how close to one he’s become. 

Danny rolls onto his back and stares at his ceiling a little, “I think my ghost pride trumped my human one. I’m not sure I _have_ human pride?”, tilting his head, “or maybe my ghost stuff just abducted my human pride and modified it?”. Did he actually know the answer here? No. And it’s not like he’s gonna ask _Spectra_ how his mind worked. How human it was. That would be asking for punishment. Would really confuse her though. Maybe. She was one ghost he didn’t really understand. 

Maddie nods and ruffles his hair, “your ecto-circulatory system and Core? That would make sense”, looking up at the ceiling too, “ghosts are impressions of the living, so your ghostly set up cannibalising your human pride and leaving you with the ecto-impression of it seems plausible. Seems logical pride would be something your ectoplasm would latch on to or overpower”, she bites back adding that ghosts were obviously proud since they seemed to think they were better or above the living when they were only the leftovers of the living. Effectively scraps. But that thought makes her squint a little, there wasn’t anything for Danny’s Core to be a ‘scrap’ _of_... The tail was obvious, but the Core? They had thought those were likely built of leftover emotional imprints or maybe the heart? That clearly couldn’t be right since Danny still had a heart -Dan had pretty well confirmed his heart being there- and, even with his aloofness, she’s still positive he was definitely all there emotionally. So the Core was an addition, not a leftover. Meaning that maybe... they were at least partly wrong. On their basic understanding/finding, of all things. Maybe the majority of a ghost was leftovers, but some were new?

Danny interrupts her thoughts, “‘ecto-circulatory system’? Is that just, like, what you’re calling my, uh, ectoplasm? And I think it’s more likely that ghost pride, or whatever, is stronger and more focused on, or something, and so the human pride is kinda redundant? Would be wasteful to have two, I think”, chuckling, “I guess ‘cannibalising’ is one way to put it. More like taking the old and upgrading it”, then very stupidly adding, “less ‘impression’, more ‘freed from unneeded baggage”, and instantly cringing because calling living, breathing, eating, organs, etcetera, ‘baggage' was probably simultaneously worrying and offensive. Maybe she wouldn’t take it that way? Even if it was... kinda true. Why have organs and bones when you can just be energy? Why be reliant on oxygen and food when you could just... not? But at the same time, why need to absorb ectoplasm, just one thing, instead of diversifying your needs? No ectoplasm equals some pretty fucked and probably fading ghosts. No cheese or beef just equals ‘eat something else you moron’. Still though...

Maddie gives her son a slightly concerned look, did _he_ have that ‘ghosts are better than the living’ mindset? That could.... could explain his tolerance and even seeming fondness of ghosts. But he also clearly didn’t ascribe to humans being lesser; than ghosts or him. Like how some people just found cats better than dogs, better pets than dogs; but didn’t view dogs as some lesser beings. Was this part of his ghostly influences or just the way he would view things regardless? She should ask instead of assuming, assuming has gotten her in a bad way a lot it seems. And she told herself she’d do less of that. But first, his question. His curiosities were more important than hers, especially if he might be genuinely worried about anything, “your ecto-circulatory system is just what your dad rather dubbed your Core and ectoplasm. How it works and flows together. Like blood and a heart”, shifting a bit and biting her lip, “I guess having two kinds of pride _would_ be unnecessary. But... do you? think ghosts are better than humans? Above?”, looking at his face and making a point to come off as gentle, “swapping ‘impression’ for ‘losing baggage’ sounds less like they are our leftovers and more like we’re garbage holding back our ghosts”. When it came to power she could understand, humans simply couldn’t match ghosts when it came to raw power. But they lost so much. Or that’s what research said, what she had thought for so long. But even if they were wrong about ghosts being emotionless and unable to feel pain. And, according to Danny, about being able to reproduce. Ghosts still lost organs. A truly physical existence. They were still bound to Obsession, even if Dan’s idea of them loving their Obsessions had merit. They still existed almost endlessly. They still were trapped in a form, ‘mind’, habit, personality, that could barely change at all. That was horrible. A loss. Not freedom or shedding off baggage. And certainly not better. Maybe it was good and better for the ones that never knew life.

Danny pushes himself to sit up and chuckles awkwardly, he sure loves making his life harder huh? “uh, I wouldn’t say ‘garbage’”, he pointedly ignores her slightly relieved sigh, “better comparison would be prototype to finished product. Prototypes are smaller, weaker, less effective. But more manipulatable, easier to deal with, informative. Prototypes you can practically upgrade or modify like crazy. Finished things go obsolete”, tilting his head and looking a little far off, “‘when things reach their ultimately conclusion, their final stage, they can go no more. But the universe is a thing of endless mores. There will always be a higher goal. A harder day. A stronger fight. A more expensive cost. To stagnate is to someday die out. To cease to exist when the universe requires beyond the final evolutions limits. But life is a thing of endless evolution. Of constant change. Always taking more and more and more. Never to rest’”, nodding his head with a smile, “‘and that, young one, is why I love life’”, chuckling and looking back to his slightly startled looking mom, “I might have made a stupidly wise friend”, shrugging, “sure they also then went on about why they love death. But you get the point I think”.

Maddie blinks, alright so maybe him being more grown-up had something to do with making -what sounds to be- a very smart friend. Likely an adult. Choosing to make light of this because that was a bit heavy and her boy clearly thought highly of this friend; he remembered them_ word for word!_, “and here I thought I’ve met all your friends”, patting his head and getting lightly scowled at in return, “though I would like to know what they think of ghosts”, sighing and looking back to the ceiling, “as for what you said, most people consider prototypes inferior. So that doesn’t really change my question”. 

Danny nods a little, fair enough, “well... uh, I think ghosts are better yeah. Kinda. In ways”, shrugging, “the strength. The durability. The powers. The sorta immortality and _Obsessions_ though, heh”, he may love helping and protecting people, and enjoy satisfying that pesky Obsession of his; but it was still annoying pushy bastard. Shaking his head, “and my friend? They’re kinda a loner”, was a bit weird calling ClockWork simply ‘friend’ but he so doesn’t want to get into that. Chuckling, “‘death -in the way it is known for ghosts- is a finality in a way that finality is not. An end unending. Eternity, or at the very least the possibility of it, on a shiny silver plater. A steady star in space. Enhancing and overwhelming everything around it. Never bending for anything. It’s beauty and strength. Chaos and destruction. Pure and raw; leaving room for nothing else. And the universe is nothing without that’”, Danny nods and adds, “pretty sure they also said ‘think of it like this: without death, life is worthless. Death is the core and essence of life. Without it life is just a bled dry husk. And that’s something I care nothing for’ on the same topic”.

Maddie can’t help blinking again, this whoever seemed like they genuinely didn’t prefer one over the other. Reminded her a little of Dan actually. She’s not sure she agrees with the idea that the living are worthless without ghosts. Or maybe Jack’s wild on-the-spot idea of needed ghosts had some serious merit. As in, world would end without them, kind of merit. Then squinting, thinking on the weird emphasis Danny put on ‘Obsessions’; it couldn’t- could he possibly? “Sweetie-”. Only to get cut off by Jack barging in, holding up the CyberSteps. 

“I got tired of waiting! So I figured I’d just bring them up! Plus! It might be more convenient to test here! Since if there’s some kind of reaction then Danny can just hop right into bed!”. Maddie tilts her head and nods slightly; he had a point. 

Danny looks around his room and rubs his neck, thinking of all the shit he hid fucking _everywhere_ in here, “uh, I’d rather _not _have anything that, y’ know, might _explode_ or anything, in my room while doing things that would make it maybe explode or something”. His dad actually blushes at that and deflates a little. So Danny adds on, “still cool with testing though dad. Just not _here_”; earning a wide smile in return. 

Maddie nods and sighs slightly, standing up with a smile; storing away her question and worry for later, “might as well do that now then”, smiling almost meanly at Jack, “since _someone’s_ over eager”. Jack just chuckles and grins. 

Danny flicks around his tail, feeling how easy it would be to simply _have legs_ yet how not draining the tail still was. Super odd but fuck it, odd is him or whatever. Floating up off his bed and flying his face right up to the legs, more than a little curious what they've changed to account for his Core in a way that _actually works in any way._ Looking inside the legs, “so, think you’ve fixed the signals miscommunication issue?”, deciding not to add ‘without messing anything else up’. 

Jack beams and nods, father and son chatting a little as they head out and down the stairs. Maddie watching from behind and smiling to herself, glad he didn’t seem to be closing himself off or act uncomfortable after their ghost-related talk; like he often did. Probably had something to do with her effectively reintegrating that they were willing and okay to hear him out on his opinions and ghost tolerance. Or maybe from them knowing about his ghostly influence and accepting that as simply part of him. Refocusing and watching his tail flick and swish around; which only makes her smile grow a little. He truly had gotten pretty good with it; not a wobble or falter in sight. He might even be able to give some ghost a run for their money, once he was healed up of course, which Jack would absolutely cheer and brag over. 

Danny turns his head towards his mom just as they get into the kitchen -the currently designated blast zone, since doing it in the lab around sensitive anti-ghost stuff really was _stupid_\- tilting his head at her giggling to herself, “what?”, and blushing when she glances to his tail; him coiling It around a little, making her smile crinkle her eyes a little. Guess his folks were finally -thank the Ancients- _genuinely_ getting use to the tail. Turning back to his dad, who sets down the legs and gestures at them a bit ridiculously. Making Danny laugh and shake his head with a smile, “yeah yeah, alright”. 

Grabbing the waist and slipping his tail in, instantly wondering what would happen if he went all leggy while wearing the legs. Legs on top of legs. Legs inside of legs. Fucking legception. That’s for another day though, even if he grins like an idiot over the thought. Moving for the thumbprint scanner and pausing, huh, they moved the timer. Nice, way less awkward. Shrugging and attaching the neuroreceptors, “where'd the timer go? Not that I’m complaining”. Considering that thing controlled the drain, he’d rather be able to see it _without_ pulling some inhuman body horror shit.

Maddie walks up and taps on the neuroreceptors between his shoulder blades, “it’s on your back, we think shortening the distance between your brain and Core, and the timer conductor might just do the trick. With a couple other changes of course”, shrugging a little, “even if that increases the distance between it and your tail -the most accessible of your ectoplasm- as well as the main body of the CyberSteps”.

Jack adds in with a laugh, “and just like before! It’s completely protected from bumps and it can be locked so no one can go fiddling with it on you!”, and slaps Dannys back over the strip, then blushing and realising that was probably dumb to do.

Danny tries (and fails) to look over his shoulder at it while his dad turns it to actually start up, “uh, won’t it be kinda hard for _me_ to adjust it there”. 

Both parents blink like this hadn’t occurred to them. “Oh”. While Danny glances to his chest and tries to focus on what he’s feeling. Again, the draining is near nothing, which is good though foreboding.

Maddie shakes her head, “well we could add a small chest bar so it could be on your chest”, nodding and thinking to herself a little, “would fall right over his Core then”. 

Danny raises an eyebrow before grumbling, “who am I? Tony Stark?”, snorting to himself, “well I am a literal _metal ass_. Rockin’ robotics”. Then deciding why not try walking, didn’t _seem _like anything was going horribly awfully wrong. 

Lewis had walked in just during Danny’s little dig toward Ironman and had promptly muttered to himself, “considering the super-suit leading a merry band of heroes. Yes. Yes you are”, which he’s pretty sure Danny missed. As he watches the kid go to lift his ‘leg’ -what happened to him regrowing his legs???- only for said leg to practically high kick the air aggressively, sweep Danny clean off his other foot, and flip him onto his back; _hard_. Eliciting a little ‘oof’ from Danny and making Lewis sigh. What is it with walking in on the hero/vigilante type getting hurt? Especially Danny. Was like the boy felt a moral and physical obligation to get injured at the sight of a doctor. Which actually... does seem like something Danny would get a kick out of. 

Maddie and Jack quickly move to help him sit up. Lewis puts his last bag on the floor and walks over. Danny rubs his head and mumbles in ghost, “o̸҉w̧͘͏,̕͡ ͞I’͝v̕ę ̴͝w͘h̵̨a͝c̴͠k̕ed̴͠ m̷̕y ̢͠͡hea̵d ͏͠͠a͝ ̢͢͝sh̷͘i̛t ̵̕t͘o͟n͡ ̨a͝n͞d̸͝ ͞s̶͏͢om͡e͜͡ho͠w ͠t҉̵h͜a̡͜t̡ was͘ ͜͞͝w͜ay҉ ̛mo̕͠r̴͠e͏̸ ͏̡p̡̨ai̴͘nf͟ưl̡͝͡”, and shakes his head. Making his folks blink in surprise and squint at him slightly, many times they’ve thought they heard him muttering in a strange language; never heard it so clearly before though. 

Jack chuckles and gives a lopsided awkward smile, “I guess you knowing ghost speak makes sense, son”. Catching Danny off guard, “e͘͜͞h̴̵҉¿”. Realising his fuck up, he goes to stand up only for the legs to overreact again and basically toss him -back first, because of course it does- into the table. 

Lewis stands up and shakes his head, hands on his hips, “well I’m glad you’re up and walking, but maybe you should turn that down a little. Before you put a foot through the ceiling or hurt yourself further”. Danny just stands there rubbing his neck awkwardly before glancing cautiously at the legs. Though really? Lewis is damn impressed these things are actually working_ at all._ And that Danny’s braces don’t look destroyed, but that’s another matter. 

Jack chuckles, checks over the timer/conductor, and scratches his head, “they’re still on the lowest setting actually”. Maddie sighs, shakes her head, and repositions the table back where it belongs. 

Her sitting down and eyeballing the CyberSteps, “I’m really not sure what else we can try. Any lower and it’s not gonna pick up and convert the signals successfully”. 

Jack snatches up the little tray of peanut fudge brittle Maddie made earlier and puts it on the table. One’s missing, so he’s guessing Jazz took one before she turned in for the night. Least Dan joins them at the table. Danny looks to attempt to but winds up on the floor again. At least he lands on his butt though! Or the CyberSteps butt really. Oh whatever, all’s the same. 

Danny just sits there, ‘legs’ sticking out straight, and vainly attempts to reach over his shoulder to flick the dial. His own normal flexibility surprising him a little at actually being able to reach the thing and turn it. But in typical fashion he turns it the wrong way, taking more from him and watching the legs start smoking concerningly; promptly turning the dial the other way. Everyone watching the smoke while Danny chuckles slightly, “heh”. 

Danny decides ‘fuck it, pretty sure these are already busted’ and changes his tail to legs. Promptly reminding himself of the fact that the hooks for his tail are_ actual hooks_ via him being actively stabbed. Alright, he really should have seen that coming. Changing back to his tail to hopefully not leak blood everywhere and ecto-burning away any blood that might (definitely) have gotten on the hooks. Using said hooks to use his tail to stand up and get out of the (still smoking)CyberSteps. 

Lewis watches him float to sit and grab up some of the brittle, pretty sure there’s some specks of blood on the ‘bandaging’. Which come on really? How does something made entirely of ectoplasm bleed human blood? How? Danny’s body made so little sense. Eddie's made more sense. And Vee was a liquid. 

Maddie pats Danny's shoulder, “you alright sweetie?”. Danny of course giving a solid ‘yep’. Which Lewis is calling bullshit on, “I’ll be the judge of that”, earning an eye roll. 

Jack nods and rubs his neck, “guess you’d like to check him over right off the bat huh?”, then perking up a bit, “then me and Mads can take the CyberSteps down! Give them a little check over of their own!”. 

Making Danny snort, “really _splitting_ the work there. A bio mechanic and tech mechanic. Real two for one. How suiting. Built for me”. Lewis just shoos the pair towards the lab door, Jack scooping up the ‘legs’ and bounding over; Maddie right behind after ruffling Danny’s hair. 

Danny mumbles at the table as the lab door closes, “what is with ruffling my hair today?”. Then scowling at Lewis for attempting to ruffle his hair with a small smirk, Danny going intangible to block him.

Lewis rounds on Danny, pointing at his tail, “now, why is that bloody? How’s your back and arm? Can you get concussions? And I thought you said you had legs again?”. 

“Twenty-one questions much? Everything’s fine, doc. I discovered the CyberSteps qualify as an iron maiden for legs. If I can get concussions I never have I think. And I’m not legless, I’m leg optional”, changing to legs and crossing them for emphasis and to effectively show off his (still intact)fashion disaster. Feeling slightly cold chair against his bare legs, and possibly the bottoms of his ass cheeks; which he’s studiously ignoring, because Ancients damnit how do girls wear this shit and not feel awkward as Hell. 

Lewis blinks, “I’m pretty sure this qualifies as a crime for me to see”, well, no wonder he asked for pants. No guy should be in anything like this against his will; least Danny was rolling with it.

“Fuck the law. Also, I might have encouraged Vee to eat a cop... and a priest”. 

Lewis shakes his head and gets up, “again, you’re a bad influence”. Watching Danny as he gets up and walks around his chair, going to head up the stairs. Whelp, guess he can walk. And has the most insane healing factor imaginable. Eddie technically didn’t have any special healing, Vee can just put Eddie back together. Like a jigsaw puzzle that can regrow any lost pieces to boot. 

Lewis shakes his head as he closes Danny’s bedroom door, “I am once again in awe of your body”, Danny gives him a really weird look at that and awkwardly slaps his ass. Lewis scowls at him, “no. Eddie can do that, not you”, gesturing for the boy to sit down so he can make sure everything’s as it should be for a healthy person. 

Danny raises an eyebrow, giving his arm over, “Eddie slaps his ass at you?”, muttering to the side, “I think Tuck is winning a bet”. 

Lewis studiously ignores that, he had more than a few people question if his friendship with Eddie was really ‘just friends’. Sure, he and Anne _had_ talked about that, opening things up. But they were pretty agreed on that being a bad idea. At least currently anyway. Pulling at bandaging, “back to tail, I somehow think that’ll be easier to wrap and less wasteful”, both of them shaking their heads at the flesh-coloured tail. Lewis quirks an eyebrow at his waist coming to a clean smooth flat end before transitioning to the tail. Eh, least he was healed and wrap-able; positives Lewis, positives. 

Checking over the braces quickly, only having to change out a cracked back brace surprisingly. And very closely checking Danny’s job of reattaching his arm, the kid was seriously _too good_ at stitching; and bone alignment apparently. Leaning back and nodding at his own work, pointless as it technically was, “guess I don’t have to gas you now”.

Danny grimaces, he’s not going to underestimate Lewis’s seriousness about healing again, “you were seriously going to do that, huh?”. Lewis just smirks at him as Danny floats up off the bed. 

Lewis speaks up before Danny turns his doorknob, “speaking of Eddie, what is up with everyone thinking you’re old?”. Danny’s grin is downright malicious, “what? Did you not believe me when I pointed out time travel is a dear friend of mine”, finger-gunning at the doc, “I do have basically the god of time in my corner after all. And a time slash dimension-hopping map”. 

Lewis nods acceptingly, “I’m surprised time jumping is even legal. Though ClockWork seems like the type that might not care”.

Danny chuckles, “law means nothing to them. Time loves crime. We’re like twins”, and grins meanly before opening the door and going to head back to the kitchen; Lewis following. Maybe see what ideas his folks have now, inspire them a little; they seemed kinda stuck. Which at this point was fair. For every thing that worked, something else didn’t. 

The two enter to the two parents glaring at the table and off-handledly munching on brittle. Danny blinks, looks to Lewis, shrugs, and turns back to his folks. Floating over to the table, “drawing blanks?”. Jack nods and hums; taking another bite. Danny moving to sit, cooking his tail around the seat.

Maddie looks at Danny and squints, “it’s like the timer conductor simply _can’t_ work in proper alignment with itself and you”.

Lewis tilts his head, “well couldn’t you just separate the timer function and conductor function? Sacrifice a little space-saving in the name of functionality?”. This thing working _at all_ is a miracle alone. It also being stylish, and realistic, and compact, and durable, and practically self-sufficient; seems straight-up impossible. “Like a friend likes to say ‘ain’t nothing wrong with the cheap n’ easy option’”, shrugging, “sure, he’s usually talking about food and booze, but I think the mindset applies”. 

Jack shakes his head absently, mumbling into his food, “only the best for Danny-boy”. Maddie pats his arm comfortingly. Lewis points at him, “working _at all_ might _be_ the best though”. Jack just grumbles incoherently at that. 

Danny shrugs awkwardly, “I’m fine either way. An extra dial is nothing really”. He is not going to school or walking around town without legs, Ancients Damnit!

Maddie sighs and nods, “we’ll see, we’d rather not of course, but we’ll see. I’m not entirely convinced that would work anyway. Might make it even worse. Since the two need to communicate so closely and heavily. Control how much is taken, how, and stored. Control how much is released and where to at a time”.

Jack nods, joining the conversation more in genuine, “I think the timer isn’t working really. It’s just not strong enough. The conductor can’t take little enough, even with storing excess, for the timer to handle; without taking too little to even _activate_ the conductor properly”. 

Maddie nods and gives Danny a soft look, “your ecto’s just too strong. The conductor needs to be strong enough to keep up and handle you, but the timer doesn’t seem able to keep up with that. We’re pretty sure the timer’s maxed out”. Danny cringes and rubs his neck, looking around awkwardly. A more power-hungry ghost would be tickled green to hear that.

Jack nods, “feasibly, we could increase storage space but that would botch the design clear to the Zone. Definitely wouldn’t be able to match your physique. Noticeably so”, and glancing at him. Knowing full well Danny wouldn’t be happy with that. 

Danny instantly grimacing, “yeah no. I’ll pass on that option”. Earning a round of nods. 

Lewis leans back and taps his chin, “I’m assuming by ‘too strong’ you mean ecto-level right? And could you just... make a different kind of timer? Or a conductor that could compress his energy on top of storing it?”. Hey, sometimes an outside perspective helped. 

Maddie raises an eyebrow at Dan, “oh? Danny explained ecto-levels, I take it?”, shaking her head, “this timer is our newest model. I’m not sure we can currently make something stronger. And everything we’ve got for compression right now are capture devices or would likely hurt anything that could actually feel pain”, and winces slightly from Danny’s sudden sharp glare; promptly getting a matching one from Dan. Right, she was supposed to be rethinking that. And she was, honest. It’s just, they had been _so sure_. Fiddling with her glove a little, “habit sweetie”. Danny rolls his eyes, like he always did when they would ignore or disregard his opinions; which made her cringe. She probably just took at least a small step back with him. Lewis just continues with the glare.

Jack nods, “we haven’t really had a chance to look into reviewing things, son”, chuckling slightly, “give us some wiggle room, would ya?”. Danny rolls his eyes again but this time he has a slight smile. 

Danny shrugs, back brace scraping almost loudly against the back of the chair as he leans back, “well I definitely don’t want anything that hurts ghosts being used on me. And honestly? There was never any reason to think ghosts don’t feel pain”. Lewis just nods, this wasn’t really his fight here; he’ll interject if he thinks he needs to though. 

Maddie gestures with her hands, “but they don’t have nervous systems, it doesn’t make any sense. There’s no brain to measure or process that stuff”. 

Jack nods a furrows his brows, “same reason we didn’t believe they had emotions. Or the ability to love, or really care about anything other than their Obsession and chaos”. Even Lewis has to admit, he’s got no clue how something without a brain experiences things that require brainwaves and nerves to experience. Ghosts _or_ symbiotes. Though he’s got a few ideas regarding Vee. 

Danny blinks, in his opinion it was obvious ghost could feel; both emotions and pain. Literally just look at them and it was obvious. But yeah, he guesses from a purely slightly close-minded human-centric scientific eye it would seem illogical or impossible. And he’s never exactly questioned the ‘how’ of ghosts feeling anything. His ghostly self included. Maybe if he could find an answer to that then his folks might really truly genuinely change their tune on ghosts; instead of just pondering it. So how did he feel things a ghost? Okay stupid question, he felt through his ectoplasm of course. But how? Everything had a slight tingle in ghost form, he had figured he was just feeling his own ecto; but maybe that wasn’t the case. Kinda like how if you pressed your finger down on something and really focused or pressed you could feel your pulse. And Cores were often described -even by him- as like a brain and they effectively were ghost hearts. Maybe that was even more literal. His Core would pulse or vibrate harder if it was doing lots of work, but it would also vibrate pretty noticeably when he was happy; he got teased about ‘purring’ over that. And his Core did get colder and even felt harder when he was pissed off. Kinda wet when he was sad. Huh, he probably should have noticed the emotional connection a long ass time ago; though not really feeling his Core consciously was a good excuse for not, background noise after all. Emotions were effectively felt through the Core. And any pain he experienced did seem to be slightly worse around his chest. So It was probably processing, or whatever, that pain. Sure people didn’t feel head pain every time they stabbed their finger with a knife, but humans were less in-tune with their brains than ghosts were with their Cores. Humans can’t ‘feel’ their brains by just focusing after all. Same went for blood verses ectoplasm though. If anything, ghosts felt _more _than the living.

Danny blinks, staring down at the table before looking back to his folks; who are giving him curious looks. Well damn, ghosts felt _everything_ with their Cores. He officially gets why they were all so damn protective of them; beyond just instinctively feeling protective. Part of why they were sacred. This also explained his parents' confusion too. They admitted to knowing near nothing about Cores, so they wouldn’t know everything Cores did. 

Danny sits up straight and puts a hand over his chest brace, over where his Core was, “it’s the Core. How ghosts feel things. They feel it with their Core”, continuing at his parents eyebrows raising and basically matching Lewis’s curiosity; though he can tell his dad’s restraining himself, which Danny appreciates. “Er, not sure if it’s the same for me -doubt it- but It does react to emotion and general pain. Uh, sometimes before I mentally do”, shrugging awkwardly and trying to make the air feel less crushing, “Sam and Tuck like to poke fun at my, um, _purring_ when I’m happy or really content. Heh”, and glancing around. 

Lewis smirks meanly, Danny moving his glancing to him and scowling. It was just like whenever anyone -other than Eddie- called Vee’s little snake head thing ‘cute’; which it was cute. They do that cat bleb thing too, so it was their own fault they were cute. Both Venom and Danny being cat-like wasn’t a similarity he ever expected to find. 

Jack kinda wants to ask, ask everything actually, but specifically if Danny could show it or let them feel it? his Core feeling things. But he has a feeling his boy wouldn’t appreciate basically show-ponying. And experiencing an emotion, even faked, at the drop of a hat was kinda hard. Plus! He believes his boy! So does he really need to ask? His wife speaks up before he does, which is so uncommon that Danny is probably weirded out by that. Maddie tilts her head a little, “‘before you mentally do’ so your... Core is actually _more_ emotionally sensitive?”, and squints at the air. 

Maddie’s not really sure _what_ to do with that information. She could write it off as a side-effect of forming a Core while still having a brain, nervous system, etcetera. But... realistically it made more sense to think that his Core was very similar to practically the same as a regular Core; an ice Core type specifically. And trying to claim his Core could experience emotions and pain but a regular one couldn’t was a serious fundamental difference. Sure she had hoped his ghost would keep the ability to feel emotions when It fully formed, but for his ghost’s Core to _already_ experience emotions and in a completely different way than humans did... It wouldn’t make any sense if the Core hadn’t come in with Its own emotional setup. Especially if It picked up on emotions _first_. And there was the whole complication of pain, because her job rather required ‘hurting’ ghosts; but ghosts ‘hurt’ each other so she’s not too bothered by that. But thinking on the ice Core thing, maybe she could jump off from that to try and place how maybe normal his was? Ugh, she seriously wishes they knew more about Cores. “Do you maybe feel things icily?”. 

Danny gives her a slightly confused look, he's pretty sure that question wasn’t worded very well. “Like if my Core gets icy with emotions?”, he actually needs the clarification here. At her nod he continues, “uh, It’s _always_ cold. But uh, more cold rock when I’m mad and ice water when sad? I’m not really sure how to put it”, rubbing his neck, “I know I drop room temperatures when I’m mad”, tilting his head, “Sam and Tuck say I literally suck the heat out of them if I’m sad or really bummed or whatever”, shrugging, “has to be, like, strong emotion for others to really notice. I think?”; he’s pretty sure people would say something if he chilled rooms every time he was mildly frustrated. Everyone would have to wear sweaters during tests. 

Lewis blinks, maybe it was better his Core was all exhausted at the hospital. But hey, it was a step up from eating someones organs in response to annoyance. Or drinking yourself under the table and then the floor, having questionable gang bangs, and getting a tattoo of a horse eating pickles.

Maddie and Jack exchange a Look. Alright, so his Core absolutely could and did process emotions and in Its own way. They absolutely couldn’t deny that ghosts feeling -and thus caring, experience pain, having morals- was not only plausible but likely. And Danny was right, if ghosts had something they could feel with then there really wasn’t a reason to assume they couldn’t feel. Looking back and nodding at Danny. Jack sticking out his arms, “I guess ice Core ghosts are emotionally cold _literally_”. And grinning at making Danny snort and laugh. 

Danny nods at his dad with an amused smile, putting his chin in a palm/hand brace, elbow on the table. Looking to his mom as she speaks up, “I guess Cores are a lot more than a vital energy source. And if this isn’t just a you thing, a modification of your Core due to being human still, then ghosts wouldn’t be emotionless. Wouldn’t be pure chaos and evil”, sighing and leaning back, “so I guess ghosts really _can’t_ be purely evil. But I think we really need to actually encounter a so-called ‘good’ ghost, to see just what kind of good that is”.

Danny can’t resist a wide grin effectively splitting across his face. That grin becoming pinched and very forced, while his folks jump in their seats a little as a portal just opens up, _in the middle of the kitchen._

Lewis’s eyebrows get lost in his hairline successfully and he’s wondering just _how often_ do ghosts just _pop up_ when Danny was involved in literally anything. He’s known Eddie for a year and he’s only dropped a criminal on him once, an alien once sorta twice but he never really had anything to do with Riot, and corpses (or on their way to being a corpse) once; Eddie was much better about giving ‘I’m eating out’ heads up now. Danny he’s known less than a month and there’s been what? Three ghosts dropped on him? The metal one, Skulker, twice. The biker, Johnny right? And that time he almost walked in on the ClockWork ghost, that didn’t quite count as an encounter though. 

Lewis physically wheezes at the timing of this ghost as they stick their blue hood-covered head through the portal. While Danny feels the need to forcibly restrain himself from smacking ClockWork over the head, as they float fully through the portal in their child form. 

Jack and Maddie blink, if they were a little less tired then they would have immediately whipped out pistols from their suits and held the spook at gunpoint; though holding back on firing until this strange ghost seemed hostile, if for anything to appease their (definitely overly ghost friendly)son and try out his ‘ghosts aren’t evil’ mindset.

Jack and Maddie’s sleep deprivation-induced hesitance gives the ghost the chance to smirk mischievously and speak, “you called?”.

Danny blinks and gapes like a fish, clacking his jaw shut to avoid yelling ‘what the _fuck_ ClockWork?!?!?’ because seriously. What the _fuck_ are they thinking? What are they doing? Has his guardian lost their damn mind? Has all their sense of reason and common sense utterly timed out? What’s their malfunction? Does their clock Core need Its batteries changed? The hands tightened? The clock face or case polished? The pendulum realigned? Danny tears his eyes off them and looks to his parents, opening his mouth back up, “uhhhhhhh”. 

Lewis sighs into a hand, “and you are?”. Jack and Maddie glance at him quickly with looks of utter disbelief; was the man just utterly unflappable? 

Danny just loses it at that, ‘cause take a fucking context clue mr. smart doctor man, “do you not see the clocks everywhere? Whom _the fuck_ DO YOU THINK?!?”. 

Lewis levels him with an unimpressed look, “I’m being _nice_”. This was probably ClockWork, but he wasn’t one for assumptions. 

Jazz walks downstairs rubbing her eyes and yawning, “it’s five in the morning? Why are you-”, yawning, “-yelling? Why are you _up_?”. Then drops her hand, stops walking, and stares. 

ClockWork grins, “hello Jasmine”.

“You... know my name?”.

Danny thumps his head on the table, “they know everything”, confirming who this was to her and Lewis really, while Danny bangs his head on the table repeatedly. 


	9. Gifts Of Time, Science, And Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ClockWork is surprisingly helpful. Danny’s surprisingly not. Jack and Maddie are surprisingly good at ethical(ish) human(ish) medicine(ish). Lewis is surprisingly not and accidentally makes a ghost. And the duo that is Venom are surprisingly... surprising.

ClockWork smiles fondly, leans over, and pats Danny’s head, “I’m perfectly sound of mind and Core, child”. Danny only groans loudly in response. 

But this is enough to get Maddie and Jack to their feet and drawing weapons, though not pointing them because something’s going on here. Jazz practically bolting into the kitchen and looking like she’s ten seconds away from blocking their line of fire and screaming ‘NO!’, only encourages them to hold off more. They knew Danny was close to her, trusted her, maybe told her things they didn’t know? 

The ghost turns to the pair of hunters, them floating over the table, and actually _bows_ exaggeratedly with a cheeky smirk, “greetings, Madeline and Jackson”. Jack blinks, having not been called that since he was basically _born _and they had to tell the nurse what to put on his birth certificate. While the ghost looks to Lewis, “as for the who, Lewis-”, making Lewis quirk an eyebrow over them following Danny in using his last name, “-you’d be right in assuming I’m ClockWork”, looking back to the hunters, “the ghost of time, or spirit, as you’ve chosen to dub the created dead”, grinning, “we prefer neverborn ghost of course. Born ghosts prefer unlived ghost”. 

Danny lifts his head off the table to the sight of his parents' open mouth gaping at ClockWork, groans and bangs his head on the table again. ClockWork patting his head with their tail before Danny lifts his head up, returns his chin to his palm and sighs, “ClockWork, there are days I really wonder if you just like making me suffer”, sighing again while his parents give him really weird looks. Danny glances from his folks worriedly to ClockWork, looking mildly unimpressed and exasperated, “you’re gonna make me explain all this, aren’t you?”. 

Jack raises an eyebrow at Danny, “Danny-boy? Do you... know them?”. 

Danny slips his head off his palm and lets his face bang into the table yet again, “ugh. _Yes_”, lifting a hand limply and gesturing at ClockWork, his face still on the table, “Clocky. Timepants. Pocket-watch. Timedaddy. Kronos, when they’re being a real_ old-timer_ stickler”, sighing, “they’re kinda my-”, he’s probably going to regret deciding that lying wasn’t worth the effort here, “-ghost parent?”.

ClockWork shifts to their elderly form, “you say that as if it is a question”. 

Danny lifts up his head purely to scowl at them, “oh my _Ancients_”. 

“Yes?”. 

Danny’s scowl deepens but he doesn’t get to say anything as Maddie cuts in, managing to sound only slightly accusing, “what does he mean, ghost”, glancing at Danny and softening her expression a little, clearly silently asking him the same question but nicer. 

Jack nodding stiffly, “uh, yeah”. 

ClockWork says precisely _nothing_, instead shifting to a child and _sitting on Danny’s shoulder._ Danny turns his head to gape at them, “seriously?”.

Lewis chuckles, “well I certainly see where Danny gets his mischievous side now”. ClockWork was _absolutely_ a trouble maker and prankster. And fine, if prankster god wasn’t slightly horrifying.

Resulting in Danny screwing up his face and giving Lewis the most overacted ‘you did _not_ just say that’ face ever, that effectively conveyed ‘what the fuck is wrong with you’ in about sixty-nine different languages. ClockWork just pats Danny’s head. 

Danny looks back to his folks at his mom clearing her throat. Him chuckling awkwardly, “uh”, deciding screw it, it’s way too bloody late for this to not be awkwarder than a snow bunny trying to relax in someone's venti cup filled with espresso shots. Gesturing with both hands from ClockWork to his parents, “ClockWork, my parents; not that you didn’t already know that”, gesturing from his parents back to ClockWork, “mom and dad, ClockWork; my ghostly guardian because I am a child and ghostly enough to qualify for this shit and my life is bullshit and the universe has a horrible sense of humour and yeah okay I’m exactly the kind of mess to have a technical god watching over me more literally and this probably makes, like, zero sense and I’d rather you not shoot them and I have no idea why they’re here now and I'm just going to shut up now”, clacking his teeth shut and leaning back against his chair with his arms crossed. ClockWork, now an adult, repositioning to appear to be sitting on the top of the chair back (obviously they are actually floating though). 

Jack and Maddie blink, exchange a Look, and go back to eyeing ClockWork -who’s suddenly a child again- warily; though they look less like they’re trying to restrain hostility and more simply cautious. Maddie sitting down slowly and stiffly, effectively pulling Jack to sit down as well, “explain”, her then glaring/squinting at the ghost, “_why_ are you here”. Both of those were technically supposed to be questions but that didn’t sound even slightly like questions. 

Danny seriously resists saying ‘I kinda just _did_’ both because that wouldn’t do him any good here and because she’s asking to explain the explanation. Jazz gives him an encouraging nudge as she relaxes and sits down herself; now sure her parents _aren’t_ going to attempt to attack. 

Danny swallows, “um, like I said. Ghostly parent. Guardian. Mentor. Teacher. Guide”, oh he is so never going to hear the end of this. Of him having a Guardian and being taught ghost things, and not telling his ghost crazed ectologist/hunter parents. _Never_. But his parents, or his mom at least, seemed to understand him not being super open with his ghostly shit. With him hiding it. So maybe. Just maybe. They’ll get him hiding this too. Maybe. Hopefully. Probably not. Big difference between ‘my body does weird ghost shit’ and ‘I hang out with literal ghosts’. Massive fucking difference. Huge. And ClockWork’s over here being their typical calm collected self. Jerk. Though that was probably a way of saying ‘this is fine and will be fine’; not gonna stop Danny from being a paranoid little bitch. Danny breaks the silence by reopening his mouth, looking to his mom, “um. They’re who I meant by that wise ‘friend’ I mentioned”. 

Maddie squints at him a little before nodding and glancing back to the ghost. So this ghost -spirit or ‘neverborn’?- loved the living? That was... arguably good... okay. But she’s still not sure what’s even _going on here._ How can he ‘have a ghost parent’? That makes no sense. And pointing that out just effectively made Danny repeat himself, so obviously this didn’t cross his mind as ‘not normal’. She’s pretty damn certain a _ghost_ wasn’t present when she gave birth to him, and carried him, and literally everything else. And he wasn’t born like this, born with a Core and ectoplasm. She would have noticed something like that. So what _really_ is this ClockWork to him? Or how do they have the familial relationship Danny’s saying they do. Again Danny didn’t find this odd, so do ghosts just... get _assigned a mentor ghost?_ That makes zero sense. Ghosts knew how to be ghosts from the get-go... right? But also, what the heck was some _ghost_ -maybe ‘needed’ or not- teaching _her son_?

Jack tilts his head, watching the currently child-like ghost give Danny a little head pat. His son glancing up with the typical scowl he gave to the two of _them_ for doing that or ruffling his hair, even looking a bit fond? And that wasn’t something that could really be faked. So close for sure. His boy was close with a ghost! What does he even do with this? Is it good? Bad? Kinda cool? If ghostie really _was_ friendly -huh, friendly ghost, who would have thought? Danny apparently- then it was cool. The things he could learn! But how? “How are you related?”, Jack shakes his head, “wait no, they said created so no relatives at all”. Then squinting and becoming just a little giddy. Wait! They confirmed a theory! Or more so Dan’s theory. Blurting out, “you’re needed!”, pausing, right no assumptions anymore, “or are you?”.

ClockWork grins, “ghost of time. The time stream would quite effectively collapse without me”. A truly unfortunate truth. ClockWork lets them sit on that for a beat before adding, “of course I am an unfade so that hardly matters”.

Jack and Maddie blink, “an ’unfade’”, attempting to take this in stride.

“Indestructible. Immortal. I am an endless thing. I have always been and will always be”.

Jazz decides now would be a good point to interject, before her parents start building a questionnaire, “alright, I’m sure you didn’t show up to answer questions. So why are you here and could it have waited till after everyone had slept?”, Danny especially needed all the sleep he could muster. 

ClockWork grins, “they asked to meet a good ghost, so I decided to let them. Though I can be more of a neutral when it comes to the universe or existence itself”. Ultimately, seeking to extend the existence of the universe and maintain the stability of time, were ‘good’ goals and jobs.

Lewis can’t help but chuckle, that was so painfully mundane but with complete chaos as a result. Which gets Maddie’s attention on him, “you are... very calm”. Maddie officially feels like Dan might have a better disposition for her job than _she does_. 

Danny grumbles, “tell me about it”, because seriously, come on! Looking to ClockWork, “for the love of everything, tell me you had more reason than that?”.

Jazz butting in again, “no. No more questions. You all need to go to bed. And I need to go back to it”. Earning some neck rubbing from Danny. Maddie and Jack just gesture -with both hands- at ClockWork like that is reason enough for them not to. Jazz stands up, hands on her hips, “no. Bed. _Now_”. 

ClockWork smirks and closes their eyes slightly, “I’ll make sure to tuck Daniel in then”. Making both parents immediately exclaim, “no! You’re a stranger to us! And a _ghost_!”. Which Danny glares at them over a little. 

Jazz throws up her hands, “why do I try”, and attempts to smack ClockWork over the head, “you’re as bad as Danny”, blinking at her hand, which of course had just phased through ClockWork.

Danny snorts, “why did you think that would work? They see the future”. 

Jazz points at him, “proof we need sleep”. 

Jack lifts up a finger and opens his mouth, though closing his mouth at getting a harsh glare from his daughter. ClockWork answer his question anyway, no clue how the ghost knew what it was though, “the time stream flows trough my Core, to be without me would be rather similar to brewing coffee without the filter and picking your beans blindly”.

Lewis mutters, “the horror”, sarcastically. While ClockWork continues, “the universe would get nothing short of a mess and would likely throw out the end result with haste. And Madeline? I have in fact been watching over him since before you had been born yourself”, looking with an almost mean smirk to Jazz, “preventing your parents from speaking will not alter the fact that they did speak in another time”. 

Jack is almost smiling over the new info and Maddie just looks incredibly confused. While Jazz sighs and rubs her temples, “at the very least Danny should sleep. If you’re a ‘parent’ then shouldn’t you be focused on his heath?”. 

ClockWork smirks more, “and I am. After all, there are some _timely_ issues. What better to empower _timing_ mechanisms than-”, shifting to an elder, “-_old man time_, the being that _empowers_ time itself”. Danny puts a hand over his mouth and chuckles; not even attempting to figure out what ClockWork means. 

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, “you’re referring to the timer I’m guessing? I find it interesting that a ghost would be offering to help _ghost hunters_ with their tech. Which is usually used for _ghost hunting_”. This gets literally everyone else to raise their eyebrows. 

ClockWork shrugs very subtly, “they could hardly do me harm, and ghost hunting is far from the purpose here”, grinning and side-eyeing Danny, “put that tail to good use, people do tend to keep around that which is useful”. 

Danny’s pretty sure he’s the only one who got that. ClockWork absolutely was enjoying his effectively full-_time_ tail. Cheeky bastard. Rolling his eyes a little bit with a small smile at ClockWork poking his tail with theirs; letting his tail uncoil from the chair and effectively wind around and fiddle with ClockWork’s a little. Then scowling at Jazz for giggling at him. 

Jack is struggling not to grin, only even trying not to due to this being a ghosts that deserves suspicion. Maddie furrows her eyebrows, “‘help with the timer’?”, then sounding very suspicious, “how?”, then glancing at Danny’s tail basically wrapped around the base of ClockWork’s, whose tail tip is patting his. The ghost seemed to imply It-they wanted him to keep the tail; not that there was another option. But why? Though come to think of it, she hadn’t seen them _with_ _legs_ at all, “is your tail constant?”.

Danny honestly feels quite pleased with himself and proud of his mom over her being kinda freindlyish. Danny deciding to be forthcoming to at least attempt to make up for never telling his folks about his Guardian; leaning forward, “yup”. ClockWork adding, “it is a common theme for Neverborn’s, yes”. Which Danny nods over. Nocturne, UnderGrowth, Vortex, the Observants, Remi, Silver; none of them had legs. Pandora and FrightKnight were two exceptions he knew of though. 

ClockWork nods to themselves when Maddie hums acceptingly and thoughtfully, rightfully coming to the conclusion that they liked Daniel being similar to them; though she blames at least some of Daniel’s tolerance of his tail on them, which wasn't wholly wrong. “And Lewis’s guess is once again, correct. As is your guess that creating a stronger timer is simply beyond your capabilities”. 

Maddie can’t help scowling at that while Jack pipes up, “I’m sure we could with enough resources”, managing to keep his tone down. 

Jazz leans her head on the table and sighs. She’s staying awake at this point to keep an eye on her parents. 

ClockWork chuckles faintly, “for what you seek to achieve, you would need-”, digging in their pocket, “-one of these”, and holds up the time medallion. ClockWork wastes no time in explaining away the twos confusion, “this is a time medallion. Only I can create them. They can allow the wearer exclusion from time or the manipulation of it. To travel to points in time or alter the flow of time, if settings are right. Only I can alter their settings. Though I can also grant another the ability to. If fused to a being they could even give a slight awareness of the future”, grinning almost meanly, “something that can entirely stop the flow of time around a being can certainly keep up with your creation”. ClockWork pockets the medallion while the three adults all gape slightly, ClockWork pulling out their own little timer device -that effectively looked like a silver time medallion with clock hands for adjustment nobs in the centre, all inside a dark gray circle- and holds it out to Jack; the more likely one take it. Unsurprised at Maddie instantly snatching it right out of Jack's hands, curious and mistrustful. 

Maddie flips it over, noting that it was already completely compatible and based on the alignments was designed for waist placement; slightly to the right though. Glancing back at the ghost and noting their cloak clasp was a fair bit on the right, they were setting up the CyberSteps to copy them; and she’s gonna bet her and Jack can’t modify this. But no way in Hell were they sticking something that was a near unknown on their boy, especially if it was designed by a _ghost_; trying out Danny’s ghost-friendly approach or not. But if this was genuine and this ghost right, then they effectively gave Danny back functioning ‘legs’. She should probably thank them, giving a very _very **very**_ awkward, “thank...you?”. 

Danny blinks, goes slack-jawed, and leans back against his chair, mumbling, “my folks just_ thanked a ghost_". Sure it was ClockWork but still. He’s made way more headway than he thought or his folks were trying_ really hard_ to chill the ghost hate. Sharing a surprised look with Jazz, also gives him a little wide-eyed encouraging smile. 

ClockWork smirks and leans towards Danny’s ear, “I also have something of a job for you”. 

Danny muttering while side-eyeing them, “uh, does it involve shooting you”, because seriously ClockWork. Thanks but, fuck. 

“You’re welcome to try, Daniel”. Making Danny rolls his eyes, while ClockWork gives him another head pat before simply disappearing; leaving slightly awkward silence in their wake. 

Jazz, surprisingly, is the one to break it. Pushing herself to stand up and asking in a way that sounds more like a command, “so can we go to bed now?”. 

Lewis chuckles into his hand, “do you really think they will with _that_”, and points at the CW timer. The parents looking to it, Maddie biting her lip while Jack just looks excited; clearly tired though. 

Jazz puts her hands on her hips and levels them with a glare, “that is a complete unknown to you. Do you seriously think you should be messing with that without sleeping?”, them inventing/working on sleep deprivation lead to either really weird inventions or _a lot_ of destruction. And that was a gift (technically) from ClockWork, in two years she only knows of one thing ClockWork’s gifted Danny; a necklace with a stylised ‘CW’ in silver. Danny _absolutely _will be possessive and territorial -he’d honestly probably try snatching it from them if he wasn’t sleep-deprived himself- of it. So no way he’d sleep if they stayed up tinkering with it. 

Jazz decides to take the initiative when her parents nod. Her pulling Lewis to stand up and pointing at his face, “you, make sure Danny sleeps. Then sleep yourself”. Danny throws a pouty look at her so she glares are him before making shooing motions at Lewis. 

Lewis shakes his head with a chuckle and waves for Danny to follow, “I guess the sister hath spoken”, earning a round of weak laughs. Danny does actually float after him though, glancing over his shoulder at his folks and eyeballing the CW timer. 

Lewis speaking up again at Danny’s door, “working legs, no revealing your legs, ghost bonding; guess your life’s glass is looking pretty half full”. 

Danny pauses and blinks at him, before smirking weakly, “I’m pretty sure the entire bloody glass got ground into my fucking eyeballs when I fucking _died_”. Lewis doesn’t really have a response for that other than a chuckle, because yeah Danny’s luck was pretty bad. 

Jazz nods curtly at the stairs before rounding on her parents, pointing at the CW timer, “no taking that apart, I don’t even _want_ to know what might happen”, sighing, “and that’s a gift from ClockWork. I think it’s obvious Danny’s close with them, so think how _hurt _he would probably be if you wrecked it”. She decides she made the right call at both grimacing a little. 

Maddie gets up, cradling the contraption cautiously, and nods, “right, thanks Jazz honey. I’m... going to put it in containment though”. Jack scurrying after her as she heads down to the lab. Jazz standing in the lab doorway, arms crossed, and making it very clear she _will_ try to physically drag them to bed. 

* * *

Maddie, unsurprisingly, doesn’t sleep very long; waking around nine. She spends about half an hour making coffee and sipping it at the table, getting a little surprised when Lewis comes down the stairs and pours himself a cup. 

Lewis answers her question before she even asks it, “I’m used to working late shifts and morning shifts back to back. The occasional emergency call”. One needed to be bendable with their sleep schedule to be in the medical field. Another reason Danny was well suited. Sitting, “I take it you don’t sleep well on an active mind?”. 

Maddie sighs and shakes her head, “no. Especially with a ghost being able to get into the house without any warnings or defences going off. Things put in place purely to _prevent that_”. 

Lewis chuckles, yeah he could understand why she might have a few issues with that. “That ghost seemed more akin to a god. So I doubt defences really matter”. 

Maddie sighs again, that in itself was an issue. She had managed to scan the ecto-signature ClockWork left behind, twenty-eight. _Twenty-eight_. Pariah had been a twenty-five. This ghost was the strongest they’d ever encountered, almost the strongest _possible_. And had some kind of positive relation with her son. “ClockWork scans at twenty-eight, so you’re not wrong”. 

Lewis quirks an inquisitive eyebrow, “Danny might have mentioned the ecto-scale but I can’t say I know what each level means”. Twenty-eight was obviously incredibly strong though. 

Maddie nods, “it doesn't mean much, but it tells us how a ghost compares to others. It goes up in increments. Basically, a two is as strong as a one and a half. A three is as strong as two twos. A four is as strong as two threes and a half. And so on. So the higher the numbers the bigger the gap. So a twenty-eight would be fourteen and a half times as strong as a twenty-seven”, sighing, “a thirty though doesn’t follow the algorithm, a thirty is twenty times as strong as a twenty-nine. I’m not sure why Danny changed it for that level, but he’s got a good sense about more tech or biological ghost things”. Which just makes her wonder why the Hell they never listened to him before on the things that didn’t line up with their theories. But then again, Danny’s theory on power levels had been proven in the field. They hadn’t believed him at first because the algorithm he made was frankly terrifying. Sure the fact that Danny’s scale accounted for things like general ectoplasm (one), ghost plants (two), and whisps (three); helped but still. Technus was a seven and _he_ could be tricky to beat when _he_ didn’t sabotage _himself_. (Trying to use ‘proper pronouns’ for ghosts, which Danny always seemed to preach, was... strange). And this ClockWork was effectively _six-hundred-and-twenty-two-thousand times stronger_. Course ectoplasmic power only meant so much, Technus was generally easy to defeat; very easy. 

Maddie speaks back up at Lewis’s impressed whistle, “what really matters is the class of a ghost. Class takes into account powers, enhancements, and restrictions. One through six. A six could effectively end the world easily”, furrowing her eyebrows, “ClockWork’s a five, which seems strange”, that kind of power, time control and omniscience, seemed practically like ultimate power. What was holding them back? Or maybe they lacked powers other ghosts had?

Lewis chuckles, nods, and sips at his cup. That kind of power was pretty nuts, and man was he glad Eddie just dealt with regular ol’ humans. No gods, no alternate dimensions, no royalty, no symbiote hunters. Danny was in a whole nother league. But at least Danny’s enemies kinda respected him or straight up seemingly liked him. And he had powerful allies. Anne was right though, Eddie will be so severely out of his depth, Danny very much being a teen will help with that though. 

Maddie speaks up again, breaking the slightly comfortable silence, “I wonder if Danny knows any other ghosts personally”, it would seem logical that he did. Wouldn’t make sense to just be friends, family?, with one powerful one. People don’t start out befriending the top dogs, they start at the bottom. And she’ll admit to being suspicious that Danny _might_ have befriended some of the local ghosts. Had worried his ‘too friendly’ attitude about ghosts had extended to _actually_ being friendly. That worry was apparently founded, but... it really was seeming like Danny was right which meant that this wasn’t exactly _bad_. Just... concerning. And Danny hiding his friend(s), family?, from her, from Jack, was honestly more upsetting at this point. Even if she understands his reasoning. She had hid her relationship with Jack from her parents for somewhat similar reasons after all. 

Lewis pointedly looks around and covers his mouth with the cup, he’s not saying shit. Though there’s really no point in saying ‘no’. 

Maddie glances at him a couple of times and squints, catching him clearly trying to restrain a small smile, “he does, doesn’t he”, that was definitely not a question. 

Lewis makes eye contact and smirks in genuine, “well, at least one other has checked up on him to my knowledge. And that Skulker one has approached _me_ about his legs; Danny did say he makes good pie too”. Sure, it was for ‘his pelt’ but he’d bet money that ghost was really fond of Danny. 

The first thing that goes through Maddie’s head is that one is a known threat, a ‘villain’ ghost, why and _how_ had Danny made ‘friends’ with It- him? The second thing is... wait he bakes? And it’s edible? But ghosts don’t eat, right? 

Lewis keeps going, “Skulker also seems to like the idea of Danny having my job, though that _might_ have encouraged him to teach Danny knife skills or something. And the other ghost, Johnny I’m pretty sure, threatened me because he thought I might be hurting him”, might as well hammer home that ghosts at least kinda cared about Danny. Would help with the whole ‘getting them to not hate ghosts or think they’re evil post-human manifestations’ thing. 

Maddie blinks and stares at Lewis a bit, what? “That... doesn’t make sense”. The biker was another ‘villain’ ghost. Less ‘villain’ more ‘delinquent’, but tried to use her little girl so he was pure evil to Maddie. And didn’t Danny _punch It-him?_ They’re not friends, that wouldn’t make sense. So why would he be attempting to protect Danny? And she still couldn’t picture that metal ghost baking anything. Unless... going a little wide-eyed, “teaching. Feeding. Protecting”, shaking her head a little and sounding almost awed, “they view him as one of them... but weak... and small”, blinking and muttering down at the table, “like a cat taking in a baby squirrel”. Or like Tarzan or a human raised by wolves. Her awe getting an edge of horror because just _what_ were these ghosts teaching her baby boy?

Lewis decides against saying anything, because Danny got the shit kicked out of him by these ghosts. He can’t point that out without being seriously suspicious. And it would be pretty pointless. 

Danny sticks his head in the kitchen at that very moment, likely having heard Maddie’s entire comment. Okay, Lewis is sure he did based off of looking like he’s trying to force his smile to not look completely and utterly nervous; the little ‘shut the fuck up, what were you _thinking_’ look he throws Lewis’s way really emphasises that. Maddie looking to him still wide-eyed probably doesn’t help the kids nerves. 

Danny gives a little stiff wave, which he’s hoping is blamed on the restrictive braces, as he goes to start up (much stronger)coffee for himself. Part of him is glad she gets up to try and help after a beat -trying to pick up cups with finger braces was _not_ easy okay?- but also, he can do it himself thank you very much. “I’m fine”.

Maddie pulls her hands back, holding them to her chest, “right right”, that ghostly pride thing. Instead awkwardly watching him fiddle with the machine. Danny almost wants to beg her to stop hovering. 

Danny clutches his cup like it’ll give him life as he sits down, tail curling up and tip flicking in the air, “so... dad still sleeping?”. 

Maddie nodding and giving an awkward, “yup”. As silence descends, only broken up by the occasional sipping sound from Danny. 

Danny practically launches himself out of his seat when Tucker effectively kicks in the door, “dude, weekend time so you know I ain’t leaving your as... butt alone”, and waves innocently at Maddie; while Danny reacquaints himself with his chair. 

Danny chuckles faintly, “no Sam?”, he knew Valerie was working this weekend. 

Tucker quirks an eyebrow at him as he plants himself at the table, totally obvious to Mrs. Fenton’s tension, “I’m surprised you don’t know? Her mom dragged her off to a gala”. Danny pulls out his phone and cringes at the wall of ranting all caps in the chat. 

Maddie sighs and shakes her head, using this a conversational life raft, “I’ll make her cookies”, why baking never came to life but cooking usually did, she’s not sure she’ll ever know. Well there was that one time with muffins, but that was intentional. 

Danny goes wide-eyed and pokes Lewis with his tail, “you. You owe Tuck food. Bake shit”. Lewis raises disbelieving eyebrows at him so Danny explains, “well _technically_ I owe him your baking. Tomato potato”. 

Lewis chuckles with a head shake and gets up, “I guess I’ll see what there is to work with here”. Maddie getting up to show him were everything was; still feeling stiff and a little freaked. 

Tucker grins, free food! “Sweet!”, turning to Danny, “so hurry up and get leggy again. Vampire Dad two is coming out, like, _now_”. 

Danny rolls his eyes and rubs at his neck, “eh, that might happen sooner rather than later”, glancing at his moms back as she stiffens a little and pulls out a square pan rather jerkily, “CW showed up and lent a hand”. 

Tucker’s eyebrows shoot up, he glances at Maddie quickly, “shit seriously?”. Danny nods and nods again when Tucker side-eyes his mom, clearly asking if she saw them. Tucker shakes his head, “they’re as nuts and reckless as you. If that even applies to them”. Danny can’t help chuckling at that ’cause it wasn't really either when you knew the outcome beforehand. 

Lewis mutters, “yeah sure fine, I got this”, as he looks over ingredients while Maddie turns to face the boys. 

“About that... how do you know them? And the... _family_ thing?”.

Just as Danny’s opening his mouth to answer Jack barges in, looking drastically more awake than everyone else, “without me, Mads?”. Making her blush. 

Tucker pats Danny on the shoulder supportively, that just gets Mrs. Fenton’s attention on him though, “you know don’t you?”. 

Tucker shrugs with very intentional nonchalance, “I doubt there’s anything me and Sam _don’t_ know about Danny-dude”. 

Maddie nods, resisting sighing. She’s not exactly _surprised_. A little bothered? Yes. But not surprised. Those three were close, closer than she thought friends could be. She hadn’t noticed until Danny seemingly knew Sam’s bra size like it wasn’t odd for him to know that. And she’s sure she’s overheard that Sam pays for Tucker’s replacement glances; she’s not sure how they get broken so much. Shaking her head, not important right now, “well I guess I’m glad you’re close then”, looking to Danny, “so?”. While Jack sits down looking a little over-eager. 

Danny gives Tucker a nearly pleading ‘help?’ look, so he gives him another pat, “all you man, your parents”, shrugging, “and it’s not like anyone other than you knows much about them. In fact-”, getting up, “-I think I’ll go help Lewis”. Danny whips Tucker’s ankle with his tail for that, nearly making the boy face-plant. Tucker mumbling sarcastically, “you'll regret that one day when I’m mayor”. 

Danny whispers in ghosts with a smirk, “p͘͡ri͝n̡̛c̢͘e͜͝”, knowing Tucker knows exactly what he said; regardless of not knowing the language. Then clearing his throat and looking to his folks, “heh”, shaking his head, “uh, anyways. I, uh, meet them when they kinda savedallourlives”, chuckling awkwardly and shaking off the unpleasant memories, he is not getting into that with his folks, “But they, well, broke the law? in the way they helped, so that pretty much made me their responsibility. And they’re, uh, how I knew the impurity in Vlad’s ecto-acne. So kinda saved him too”.

Maddie cuts in before he can continue, “so this ‘ghost parent’ thing wasn’t really intentional or... willing?”. Making Jack frown. 

Danny grimaces, “not really? ClockWork _knew_ what would happen, _explicitly_. So willing and wanted there. They could have helped in a different way. So, uh, also technically intentional. And for me?”, shrugging, “I didn’t know Guardians were a _thing _so really couldn’t be intentional. I guess _technically_ not willing either but-”, smiling sheepishly, “-who the Hell gets to pick their family?”, shrugging, “and I like them”. 

Jack can’t help but chuckle at that. Danny-boy did have a point there. He’s fairly sure almost no one would willingly chose them as parents. And wow, he effectively had ghost family! How weird was that?! ‘Cause Danny’s family meant Jack’s family. Period. And any ghost who saved his boy -and apparently his entire family and Vladdie!- certainly couldn’t be evil and deserved some trust. Though he can’t help worrying that this ghost wanted to be Danny’s ‘guardian’ intentionally for bad reasons. He’s sure Mads is worried about that too. “But son, there’s something I don’t get? Why? Why would they want this? Want you? Heck! Why and how is ghost _adoption_ even a thing?”.

Maddie nods at Jack before looking to Danny and frowning a little, “you’re human; even if slightly ghostly. The child of ghost hunters; even if you’re probably not going to be one yourself. And they’re, well, ridiculously strong; wouldn’t it make more sense to want a, how do I put this? strong kid?”, furrowing her brows and knowing Danny’s probably not going to take this well, “it’s not because of us being hunters is it? Because sweetie, I very well could see a ghost trying to get to us through you and Jazz”. 

Tucker, next to Lewis, having just nodded that ‘yes, adding fudge is a good idea’, very heavily cringes. Even him and Sam knew better than to question ClockWork’s motives _especially_ regarding their fondness for Danny. That was a good way to get a pissed off Danny. Or in Tucker’s case, shot in the face -or the crotch, that one notable time- with an ecto-beam. He does not recommend. 

Danny, surprising no one, scowls and actually snaps with a bit of a snarl and power behind it, “**_no_**”, making everyone jerk a little. Maddie and Jack going a little wide-eyed, and Tucker cringing more. While Danny continues, tail actively lashing at the air aggressively and occasionally constricting around the chair legs hard enough to make creaking sounds, “you have _nothing_ to do with it. **_Nothing_**. So don’t go there”, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose and grumbling angrily in ghost, “sh̶͡ơ̶u̸̢͡l̴d̡͝ h҉͞av͢͠e ̷f̨įgu̢r̷͜͝ęd.̴͜ ̴̶O͠f̶͢ ̸͢fuc͘k̨̧i͞n̷̛͢g̸̕͠ c͏o̸u͢r҉se͞.̧̡ ̨G̶̢hos̷t̨s̸͞ ͟͡s̕t͢ill ̢̢c͘͟͝a̢͘n’̷͡t ͘͟b͡e ̛tru̷̧̧st̴ed̶̕ ̢͝hų̧h̴.̨ ̴F̕͜u͜҉c͝ķ͟i͡n̷̕g̴ ͘͞͞A͟͠n͝c̕͝i̸̵e҉͞n̨͜҉t͘s̕”. 

ClockWork picks that very moment to appear out of thin air, smacking Danny (somewhat gently)on the head with their staff, “they mean nothing by it. One can hardly expect the uninformed to understand. So _explain_”, and promptly disappears... again; leaving everyone (but Danny) gaping. 

Danny makes some kind of whiney noise, puts both his hands over his head, and turns to exaggeratedly pout at the air where ClockWork had been. 

Tucker wheezes and slowly crumples to the floor, “you’ve been told! Ha!”. 

Danny turns to scowl at him, hands still on his head, “shut it, Tuck”. Dropping his hands and looking to his still gaping parents, “so... that just happened”. 

Lewis chuckles faintly at that, “kid, that was worse than the time a friend of mine literally got shot, just took a sip of some fruity drink and asked the guy how the weather was”. 

“Well if there was a tornado, that would be logical”. 

Lewis actually turns around and points the batter spoon at him, “no. No it was not. Now stop being a little shit and talk to your parents before they blow a gasket”. 

Danny rubs his neck awkwardly and looks to his folks, “um... sorry for going a bit... ballistic there. But, uh, I don’t take well to that. So just don't, okay? Their intentions are good, let’s just leave it at that”. 

Jack and Maddie make a few unusual faces before nodding a bit. Jack clearing his throat, “alright, son. Does... that happen a lot?”, and nocks on his head for emphasis. 

Tucker lays on the ground laughing, making Danny roll his eyes but losing a fair bit of tension. Danny grumbling petulantly, “only when I’m being stupid...”, smirking slightly, “or trying to use them for a prank”. 

Lewis smirks himself and speaks while spreading batter, “so all the time?”. Danny turns his head and gives the back of Lewis’s head an overacted scowl. Lewis only smirks more over that. 

Maddie clears her throat, recapturing Danny’s attention. Danny chuckles awkwardly, “right, explaining”, furrowing his eyebrows and sounding sheepish, “what were the questions again?”. 

Jack chuckles a little at that while Maddie smiles and answers, “just why would a ghost adopt, adopt you specifically. Would _want_ to”. 

Danny nods, “right. I guess that might be confusing”, seeing as they didn’t know he _was_ a ghost. And huh, the whole concept of Guardians was probably foreign to them. Probably should have realised that sooner. 

Lewis snorts, “‘might’?”.

Danny turns to him, “you’re Mr. Snark today, huh?”. 

Lewis shrugs, “eh, friends didn’t react to the fact that I’m making brownies”, turning and pointing at Danny, “that’s concerning”, before turning back around to slide the pan into the oven. 

Danny blinks, right Vee was chocolate crazy. _Really_ chocolate crazy. “Fair”, Far be it for him to harp on someone for being paranoid and worried over someone’s safety. Then smirking a little, “though if they’re hungry they can just get a bowl of _Symbi-oats_”, he can read a tired sigh/groan in Lewis’s body language.

“They’re not huge fans of cereal. They eat a lot of Chinese though”. 

Danny snorts, “everyone already knows they love _rawmen_, Lewis”, successfully getting the guy to choke. 

Danny promptly looks back to his folks and rubs his neck, “it would be easier to just, well, explain Guardianship in general?”, continuing when they both nod acceptingly, “cool, um okay. Well, so like, when ghosts form they form all their ectoplasm and Core yeah? But, like, there are adult ghosts and child ghosts. Dead ghosts always start out as child ghosts whether they died a child or not. Ditto for born ghosts”, shrugging awkwardly, “created’s are a toss-up”, shaking his head, “anyway. Child ghosts have... immature I guess? Cores. They’re weaker, less powers, less stable, more unruly and reckless; lots of things. Usually kinda sucky at being a ghost and look more like when they were alive. Adult ghosts are just instinctively or naturally a bit protective or teachery towards child ghosts”, shrugging, “kinda like humans and babies really“.

Jack and Maddie blink, Maddie opens and closes her mouth a few times so Danny pauses to let her think. Her eventually speaking up, “so ghosts.... _collectively care for younger ones_”, and blinks in shock a bit more because that is so far out of alignment with what they thought of ghosts. 

Danny wiggles his hand in the air, “ehhhhhh, I wouldn’t go that far. Child ghosts _are _the most likely to get, well, _murdered_”.

“Oh”.

Danny nods, “yeah”, clearing his throat, “most child ghosts will get taken in or under the wing of or whatever; by an adult they impress or that likes them or is just similar to them or maybe related in life”, shrugging, “eh, it varies”.

Jack butts in at that, “what one’s ClockWork?”.

Danny shrugs and rubs his neck, “the, uh, situation with us is a little, _different_”, straightening up, “they literally _broke time_ and _temporal laws_ for me. That’s kinda super serious. Though they did that because they like me and I impressed them. Some other things”. 

Maddie and Jack decide against pressing him, since he didn’t exactly react _well_ to Maddie questioning ClockWork’s motives before. Instead Maddie asks, “okay, but generally, why would a ghost do this? It just- I guess it just doesn’t make sense to us, sweetie”. 

Danny bites back muttering about how that’s because of their bigoted opinions on ghosts, thinking they’re unfeeling uncaring evil chaos-loving monsters. Though the chaos-loving part was true. Monster was debatable. “Because they want an apprentice, or heir, or are lonely, or just genuinely _care_. Though I guess it does benefit the adult ghost some”, shrugging, “makes both adult and child stronger. If the child accomplishes lots, it makes them look good, y’ know like it does with human parents”.

Maddie nods, “for power I can understand”, making Danny roll his eyes a little. Which really just confirms that he still thought they were overly anti-ghost. 

“Yeah well, it’s not much so it would be stupid to become someone’s Guardian purely for power. Stupid”.

Jack scratches his head, ignoring the banging of Lewis and Tucker cleaning up, “couldn't they just drop the... child ghost?”.

Maddie nods at him before looking back to Danny, “like with human adoption?”.

Danny shakes his head immediately, “nope. A bond thing kinda forms that lasts as long as they both exist; whether the child ‘grows up’ or not”. 

Both parents blink, Jack mouthing ‘wow’. Maddie bites her lip, “so you are... bound to ClockWork?”, she’s not sure what to do with this information. 

Danny gives an awkward nod, he gets that there’s really no way for that not to bother them, “yeah”, tapping his chest brace over his Core, “my Core recognises them as Guardian and reacts, um, accordingly”. 

Jack and Maddie share a Look, and Lewis glances over pointedly curious. Maddie’s the one to speak though, “and what’s ‘accordingly’?”.

Tucker snickers and speaks almost meanly, leaning over at Danny, “like a little kid”, snickering more, “Sam has a few embarrassing photos”. 

Lewis looks to him, “I’m curious”.

Danny turns to point at him, “no, bad doctor”, and subtly flicks snow from his tail at the guy’s legs.

Lewis rolls his eyes, “can’t be any worse than Vee covered in marshmallows eating chicken with a coffee mug on their head. Or literally any photo of a heavily drunk Eddie; the most recent featuring him trying to eat a tv and covered in party hats”. Tucker wheezes, Danny and Jack joining in after a beat. 

Jack glances at the oven and back to Maddie, “cookies?”. Making her sigh and nod. Lewis shrugging and literally undoes all his cleaning to get ingredients and supplies. 

Jack grins at the cookie sheets before looking back to Danny, “so you act like a child around ClockWork, eh?”. Danny just blushes and looks around anywhere but his dad at that; which just makes him laugh heartily. 

Jack grins widely to himself, he’d kinda like to see that. Danny-boy had been a darn cute, goofy, and dramatic kid. That did explain all the banging his head on the table dramatics yesterday, or this morning technically. And the tail coiling _was_ kinda like a kid grabbing at their parents' hands. Well shit, that’s adorable and makes him grin like an idiot a little. Little Danny did used to get mesmerised by Jack’s hands, mostly ‘cause of size difference though! And there was that pouting act he did! Maybe more genuine childish pout? Less mischievous drama? Jack’s attention getting grabbed by Lewis pulling out the brownies, “wait, is there fudge in those!”, and practically going to pounce on them.

Maddie shoos Jack off, “wait a little, dear. How about you and Danny wait in the living room till the cookies are at least in the oven?”. Jack groans but nods. Maddie speaking to Danny before Jack has a chance to drag him off, “one thing I still don’t get though? Core and everything else or not, you’re still _human_”. 

Danny shrugs, “it’s like you said before I came in -yes I heard that- I’m ghost enough to ghosts. _‘One of them’_”. Maddie nods acceptingly, though she doubts someone who would defy _time _would care about something like species. 

Jack immediately drags Danny off to the living room as soon as his wife looks satisfied, because he _knows_ she won’t put in the cookies until he leaves. Gotta love a tricky lady. Though a third the joy in baked cookies was how damn good she looked in her frilly apron. 

Danny elects to just float around lazily a bit, it was still kinda surreal _floating_ around his parents. His dad chuckling, “it’s like you were born with It”. 

Danny stilling and shrugging, “well, uh, thinking of it, ClockWork _might_ have something to do with that. All they’ve got is tail”. 

Jack chuckles and nods a little, made sense. What with the bond influence thing. Which, yeah, still not that cool with but Danny seem cool with it; so he’s kinda cool with it too. ClockWork did seem nice! For a ghost at least. Mads would take a bit more, but Danny-boy’s not a little kid so surely he understands! Though thinking of her and that, this whole ClockWork situation wasn’t all she was fretting over... “so Danny?”.

Danny pauses in the air, “why do I feel like this is more heavy stuff?”.

Jack gives an apologetic shrug, “sorry?”, Danny just waves him off so he asks away, “so Maddie had been wondering to me about more than ClockWork”.

Danny makes a point to not seem nervous, “oh?”.

Jack nods, “yeah. She was thinking that maybe you had an Obsession. You know, like a ghostly one. She wasn't sure ‘bout asking, if you’d be cool with that. Since we’ve always talked about those being unpleasant”, chuckling and rubbing his neck, “not that there’s anything wrong with that!”, moving to sit down on the couch, “though they don’t exactly seem positive. But! I’m sure you could make things work for you! Right?”, rubbing his neck again, “Dan thinks they’re like a hobby! So maybe you like it- or would like it! If you had or have one that is”, giving another weak chuckle, “though we’ve always thought of them as controlling and inclined towards bad behaviours. Violent”, waving his hands pacifyingly, “not that you’re ever violent or bad!”, muttering to the side, “other than ditching class and shirking chores anyway”, looking back to Danny, “so if you do or did, then it totally can’t be violent, so we must be at least somewhat wrong about that! We’re definitely learning a lot from you”, waving his hands again, “not that that’s why we ask or want to know!”.

Danny interrupts, floating to sit down himself. It was weird when _his dad_ was the one needing comforting, he didn’t like it, “dad, you’re rambling, I know”, shrugging, “sure you’re curious for curiosities sake, and it being ghost-related of course. But I know it’s more because you want to know me, that I'm your son. _Family_”. Jack just nods and rubs his neck awkwardly, so Danny continues after adjusting a little; trying to not be weird about this, and running his hands over part of his tail, “as for the, er, _Obsession_, thing-”.

Jack pats him on the back gently and cuts in, “you don’t _have_ to tell me, tell us, if you’d rather not”. He hopes his boy doesn’t take the out though, he’s curious! And they didn’t fully understand Obsessions beyond them being called ‘Obsession’ for a reason, was related to their death, and largely what kept them around; blocked them from moving on. What ghosts Obsessed about was important them, so if Danny had one then it’s got to be important to him! And he definitely wants to know the things important to his boy! But Danny was clearly a bit defensive of all these things he’s been hiding, the ghostly things and definitely ClockWork; boy could be scary if he wanted to be! And also the Core, he has a feeling Danny didn’t just recently find out about that. And Obsessions could, and have been, used to a hunters' advantage. To trap or discourage or harm. he’s never even heard of a ghost being open about their Obsession! Even if it was obvious! Like with that Box Ghost. And ClockWork’s was probably time-related; or just _was_ time as a whole! So it would totally make sense for him to what to hide his, if he has one. 

Danny blinks, well honesty _has_ worked for him with all this so far. But he never would have willing outed his Core to them. Parents or not, they were still_ ghost hunters_. And even if they weren't, well Lewis only knew because he_ saw It._ And Lewis had caught him off guard when he told him about his Obsession and was being kinda like him. Asking what he had to for someone else’s health and safety. Oh, and the _drugs_; that was definitely a factor. Now his folks? The only reason they had was curiosity and maybe some misplaced worry/fear over the idea of him having one. And his Obsession was _absolutely_ one that could be taken advantage of. Lewis and his ‘it would be _helpful_’ shit made that painfully obvious. And him giving him an Obsessive Crisis, while an accident, had still been partly caused by Lewis _knowing_. So no, not happening. And his dad would just ask questions on top of questions, likely becoming completely oblivious to sensitivity. That was kinda his dad’s thing. And his mom, well she would wonder how he satisfied it; and that would lead to the big Phantom secret. 

Danny rubs his neck, glancing at his tail swishing around and vibrating a bit, “I mean? Don’t worry about it?”.

Jack nods a little, that was as good as a ‘yes’. To both an Obsession and to not wanting to talk about it. He has no idea if this is cool or not. He should probably confirm though? No assuming. “So... yes?”, and making a point to give him a sheepish look over the tail giving a little snapping thrash; he had noticed Danny’s tail seemed to give away his emotions a little. Which actually did support the possibility that ghosts were actually more emotionally sensitive. 

Danny looks around awkwardly and nods a little, “um, yeah. Do you, like, _need _to know the, er, ‘what’ though?”, and staring at his dad a bit challengingly. As if daring him to make up some bullshit reason. If his dad, the much more curious and knowledge-hungry one, can let this go then he guesses he can trust them a bit more. Can much more genuinely believe they care more about family, about him, than ghost hunting. He already knew they loved him more than they hated ghosts, them accepting his ghostly crap was proof enough of that. And they hadn’t, like, banned him from seeing ClockWork. Not that that would be possible. 

Jack’s pretty sure some might find his sons staring a bit ‘creepy’ but he’s seen it a few times, usually aimed at his friends though... and Vladdie. Who, come to think of it, was pretty good at the unnerving stare himself! As for his boy's question? He definitely wants to know! but no way he needed to. Mads would probably worry it would make him misbehave or something, but Danny-boy said not to worry and he’s gonna trust his boy! “Naw. If you don’t want to then you don’t want to. I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with that!”, chuckling and smiling, Danny exhaling and smiling back after a bit. While Jack continues, “so long as it’s not making you sick or unhappy, anyway. And I’d be totally down with helping you with it! or maybe you need help figuring something out with it! Or even just wanna talk about it! I’m sure your mom would be cool with that too!”. 

Danny cringes a little, “uh, sorry but no. I’d really rather not. It’s, uh, personal. Private I guess”, shrugging a little stiffly, “kinda like how I, uh, don’t want my Core being poked at”, clearing his throat, “but it’s fine. I’m fine. I keep it satisfied and in check. And it’s not something bad or anything”, shrugging and tacking on, “most generally aren’t”, partly to get away from his Obsession specifically. 

Jack blinks and mutters to himself, “so Dan was right...”, making Danny cringe again as Jack shakes his head and speaks up again but at Danny, “good then. Well my offer still stands, always will!”. 

Danny nods, “um, thanks”, and gives his tail a little, hopefully subtle, pat to encourage It to chill out. He’s gonna have to ask ClockWork for tail tips. 

* * *

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Tucker nudges Maddie, “when it comes to CW, take Danny’s warning and just don’t question their motives towards him. You know better now so he’ll be less... nice next time”. 

Maddie blinks, stilling her mixing, “should I be worried?”. 

(Lewis is firmly staying out of this)

Tucker chuckles and rolls his eyes, “nope, it’s a bond thing”, shaking his head, “and ClockWork saved all of us, so questioning their motive is like questioning whether all of us deserve to live to him”. 

Maddie whispers, “oh”, okay that was pretty serious. She knows how protective Danny can be, especially of friends and family, so Danny’s extreme reaction made much more sense now. 

Tucker nods, washing out a bowl while Lewis spoons the cookies. Maddie sits against the table as Tucker continues, “yup. And ClockWork is just as defensive of Danny”, snickering, “did you know the government of the Zone put out a hit on him once”. 

Maddie chokes, whisper yelling, “_what_???”. Lewis just steps to the side slightly, Danny’s friends are as addicted to chaos as Danny is; he’d like to not be in the splash zone currently, the peanut gallery’s pretty appealing though.

Tucker nods, “yup. ClockWork pretty much told them to get lost. And nobody says no to ClockWork”, tilting his head, “except Danny”. 

Maddie shakes her head in utter disbelief, “they're that respected or powerful?”. 

Tucker shakes his head and purses his lips a little, nodding at Lewis, “it’s not just simple little humans that look at them and think ‘god’, ClockWork’s the stuff of myths and legends to the spookies”, adding purely to cover his own ass, “according to Danny anyway”. 

Maddie nods, that was a bit out there. Ghosts had their own myths? That also meant culture. Were ghosts actually..._ highly complex and sophisticated?_ shaking her head a little, she would have brushed this off days ago, and puts the cookies in the oven. Frowning slightly at overhearing Jack, was he asking Danny about Obsessions? She advised him against that! Apparently, Tucker thought the same. Him sounding slightly worried, “oh, uh, wonder if I should jump in? Obsession’s kinda touchy”.

Maddie blinks, looking to Tucker, wait what? “So he... he has that”. 

Tucker makes a cringe showing all his teeth and even scrunching up his neck, “I’m guessing you didn’t know that”. Making Maddie sigh. 

Lewis shakes his head and chuckles, again amazed Danny has held on to any of his secrets when none of them could even keep track of what they were lying about and what they weren’t; combined with talking about shit out loud.

Maddie checks the cookies, “well I’m glad you’re close and protective of each other. Though I wish we had been told about all of this”. Tucker elects not to respond to that. 

A bit later Jack and Danny turn their heads at Maddie calling that the cookies are ready. Jack promptly jumping up and dashing to the doorway; eager for brownie and cookie alike. Looking back to Danny from the entryway, “you coming?”. 

Danny smiles, “yeah. Yeah I am dad”, and flicking his tail before floating over. 

Tucker effectively shovels food in his mouth, looks excited and excitedly smacks Lewis arms, “fugh mun”. Then finger-gunning at Danny, “weh, I shoe gwe giong”. Making Danny laugh and finger-gun back, “you just wanted me for my food. What? Do I only have half enough physical appeal for you?”. 

“Yo oh ur zezz”. Danny just wheezes at Tucker’s wink. 

Lewis walks up behind him, another coffee in hand, “did he just call you sexy?”. 

Danny rolls his eyes and takes the second cup from him, “Lewis, doc man, Tucker thinks everyone’s sexy. All the time. Dead. Alive. Furry. Don't matter. Everybody’s sexy af”. 

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, “furry?”.

“His sona’s an otter”.

“Well alright then, all the power to him”, and lifts his cup in a little salute. 

Danny scowls slightly and points at him, “no matter how chill you are, I will always remember breaking your mind via duplication”. Lewis shakes his head with a little smile. 

Jack walks up and ruffles his hair, “so Danny-boy? What should we call the ClockWork fellow? ‘Cause no offence, but ‘parent’ is taken”. 

Danny chuckles slightly, “uh, dad? Guardian is the actual proper term”. 

Lewis points up at him, seeing as he was floating slightly above their heads, “but ‘guardian’ is synonymous with ‘parent’ for us human beings”. 

Jack chuckles, “so something else for the ghost guardian of our kid's ghostliness”. Making Danny tilt his head, “uh, I’m not even sure there is a word for that. But maybe... godparent? Sure you didn’t choose them, but?”. 

Lewis snorts, “of course that’s the term you’d go with for a technical god who’s also technically a parent”. 

Jack laughs, “true!”, patting Danny, “and they -like Vladdie!- aren’t actually related to you! so it would make sense!”.

Danny rubs his neck and floats slightly lower down, “uh”, and looking around awkwardly.

Lewis raises his eyebrows, a bit genuinely surprised because how???? “Oh really?”.

This gets Maddie over, “did I hear that right? Are you saying you _are_ related? To a ghost that was never alive?”. 

Danny gives an awkward shrug, “bond thing. I’ve got a little bit of them. They've got a little bit of me”. 

Maddie and Jack exchange a major Look over that before looking back at him. Jack grins wide and smacking a fist into his hand, “well that settles it, that ghosts a Fenton”, tilting his head, “which is not something I thought I’d ever say”. 

Danny’s grin is practically beaming, “well I’m happy to hear it”.

Maddie just grins and passes around the cookies. 

* * *

It doesn’t take long before the parents' minds are firmly back on the ‘make Danny legs goddamnit’ train. Maddie eyeballs his swishing tail as Lewis has him doing (unnecessary)laps and what can really only be described as tricks. Maddie walks over, following her son with he eyes; it was almost weird how normal him floating around felt now, “so, up for installing the clock timer?”. 

Danny pauses and shrugs, still a little too awkward about this to just float upside down and chat or something, “I mean? Sure?”. All three of them watching Jack practically launch himself at the lab door.

Maddie and Lewis watching Danny’s eyes widen a little, before he zips towards the door; absolutely beating Jack down. 

The three adults getting down to the sight of Danny flipping over and inspecting the little device; Maddie’s not even going to bother wondering how he got that out of containment.

Danny absolutely knows there were little sparkles of green flecks in his eyes as he checks the trinket over, running over the curves and edges. Eventually lifting up his head and pursing his entire face as he hits a tiny trigger and the devices shoots out confetti everywhere. 

Jack almost immediately begins laughing, “oh wow! They’re a jokester!”. Like Danny! 

Maddie walks up and shakes her head at the mess, “well that was rather funny though messy”.

Danny chuckles, “well if you had tried to install this before I accidentally set off the little prank then the confetti would have probably fried things. So joke, but also test slash failsafe”. 

Jack tilts his head, “but they see the future right? They already know our actions before we take them”.

Danny shakes his head, “no. They just see all the possible futures. Sure they can tell what’s most likely but that doesn’t mean much”, smirking, “and even they say I’m notorious for taking the less likely paths. They, uh, actually make bets on that”. 

Lewis blinks, “you mean people bet against the guy that sees _all the future?_”, shaking his head, “how stupid do you have to be”.

Danny shrugs, “more like egotistical, they usually bet against other future seers, ClockWork’s got a better view than them though. So...”. Lewis shakes his head more. 

Jack runs over snatching up the fully repaired CyberSteps, while Maddie holds her hand out to Danny. Danny glances from the (apparently dubbed)clock timer to Maddie, “okay. Just... careful”. 

Maddie nods and takes it from him gingerly, “we will be, don’t worry”. Lewis walks over to look over her shoulder at the device before she takes it over to one of the tables to examine; leaving Lewis standing next to Danny. 

Lewis watches the parents for a bit before looking to Danny, who of course is practically staring at them. Lewis knows they’re far enough away from the hunter couple to go unheard; even with sound travelling a lot down here. “So obviously I know ClockWork is immortal, but I remember you implying you were practically immortal yourself. Neigh indestructible, I believe”. 

Danny glances to the guy, giving him ‘seriously?’ eyebrows, before looking back to his parents. Speaking quietly, “geez doc”, shaking his head a little, “ghosts are super hard to destroy in general. Halfas are just even _harder_”. 

Lewis nods, “so Vlad too then".

Danny snorts, "he's weaker than me”. 

“Yeah I think that’s obvious”, Danny was obviously stupid strong. This gets Danny to curl up a bit and laugh. While Lewis continues, “speaking of that one, just _how_ dangerous is he?”, considering he might just have pissed him off. Lewis could do without more ghostly drop-ins.

Danny digs out his phone from his brace and flips through his photos while speaking, “he’s a nine. Lots of reasons for the lower level. Made by weaker and less ecto; contaminated ecto too. My age is a factor too and being exposed to ecto for, like, my whole life”. Glancing at him, “his real danger is he’s stupid smart and has enough cash to go nuts with”, chuckling, “like the cloning thing. That’s one way to get a kid at fourteen though”. 

Lewis raises his eyebrows at that, again this kid’s life was ridiculous, “not sure that counts as ‘kid’”. 

Danny smirks, “Vlad fucked up. We’re not identical, just closely genetically related”, chuckling, “she’s a little three-foot-tall twelve-year-old travelling nomad. In London right now I think”, tilts his head and shrugs. 

Lewis shakes his head with a sigh, “congrats, just like Eddie you have a kid without getting anyone pregnant”., shrugging, “though Eddie’s is technically in the works”. 

Danny laughs, “least Elle’s not natural”, holding his phone out to the guy, “here’s a pic of her kicking Vlad in the face”. 

Lewis leans over, huh, someone would have to be blind to not notice the family resemblance. White hair, green eyes, black and white jumpsuit, DP symbol, stupid cheeky grin; a Phantom through and through. The other guy though, looks like a knockoff bramstrocker; the vampire jokes officially make sense. “Well alright, cute kid; I can practically smell trouble maker on her”, tapping his nail on the screen, “why’s Vlad look so different though?”.

Danny shrugs, “adult thing or something. Spookies change their appearance sometimes”.

Jack actually comments on that, “we’re honestly not sure at this point if they do that for aesthetic or it just happens because they got stronger!”. Maddie coming over as well, clock timer in hand. Danny’s more than a little pleased that it doesn’t look like they took it apart at all. Good. 

Maddie holds it up, “I think I’m willing to trust this and it’s definitely compatible”, looking to Danny, “it’ll only work around the waist though and won’t function as a conductor”. 

Jack nods and gestures with his hands a little wildly, “so we’ll just rip out the timer stuff from our conductor! And leave the conductor where it is!”, nodding curtly with a grin before pausing, “if that’s cool with you, of course”. 

Danny smiles, “that’s fine, apparently I’m flexible enough to reach”, stretching to make a point, “even with the braces”. 

Lewis grumbles, “just don’t break them”. Danny has cost the hospital a lot of money at this point. Sure medicine wise and room wise he saved them money, but all the braces, having to recast his arm, the _extremely_ expensive wheelchair that he can’t believe Mrs. Levi actually signed off on (sure all he had to do was show the insanely high and unusual injures Amity Parker’s tended to get -especially minors- and she gave her approval immediately), the patient file bug Tucker made that the tech guy said he’d have nightmares over, and the fact that they got investigated by a very shady section of the government (that not-rain stuff almost forced the entire hospital into quarantine). 

Jack beams and rushes off to the CyberSteps, dragging Maddie along with. Danny’s pretty sure the legs look more defined, more finished, than when he last saw them; or this was just a finished version since basically everything but the timer conductor was likely as perfect as it could be. 

Danny makes damn sure his folks are preoccupied with the legs before looking back to Lewis, snatching his phone away since the guy started flipping through his photos, “seriously doc? Rude”. 

Lewis just shrugs, “you’re the one who gave me your phone. Besides, you’re interesting and I’m curious. Nice castle. Doesn’t seem your style though”. 

Danny huffs and rolls his eyes, “excuse me for thinking you, a doctor married to a lawyer, had some manners”, crossing his arms and muttering down at them, “sure I would’ve done the same but still”, looking back to Lewis, “and I didn't design that, Pariah did. I’ll change it when I take the throne”, shrugging, “it’s an automatic thing. Lairs are weird like that. Ecto-construct and all that”. 

Lewis nods, yeah lairs bent to the need, personality, and somewhat the will of its ghost; if he’s remembering that correctly. Smirking a little, “let me guess, it’ll reholposter itself black n’ white?”. 

Danny smirks right back, “what can I say? I know my colours and I wear them proud. The white of life and the black of death”. 

Lewis shakes his head and leans against the wall, “speaking of castles and thrones, still can’t say I understand how a crown and ring could make someone able to absorb and feed an _entire dimension._ And if you’re the sorta will of Zone then could you modify it like a lair? And what about the Zone _needing_ a king eventually? Is that a sooner or later kind of thing?”, tilting his head, “and with that, if you got destroyed would the universe eventually just _die_?”. 

Danny gives him a truly pained look, “you wrote this shit down, didn't you”, scowling at the doctor's small nod. Danny side-eyes his parents to make sure they’re still absorbed in their work, before answering, “alright, it works like this: the ring has a negative glow so it can pass as a regular ring, because it -unlike other ecto things- strictly absorbs ectoplasm instead of shedding ectoplasm. While the crown is the opposite, it only sheds and doesn’t absorb; hence why it practically blazes off ectoplasm. The ring absorbs the Zone’s ectoplasm, the Crown sheds off the wears ectoplasm plus whatever they absorbed in from the Zone. Kinda like the wearers a heart and the ring and crown are valves”.

Lewis smirks approvingly, “that’s a very doctorly comparison of you”. 

Danny snorts, “it works and you’re a doctor. Anyway. Yeah having that much energy following through a little tiny body’s a lot but-”, shrugging, “-like I’ve said, I’m used to dealing with things that are a lot. And my consciousness, sorta, would be carried though all that ecto. So I’d pretty much have an awareness of the whole Zone and every ghost. Which yes, means I could modify it like a lair. Not quite the same though. The Zone would be part of me yeah, part of my ectoplasm and what my folks seemed to have called my ecto-circulatory system; but the Zone wouldn’t be my lair, just an extension of my being. And I can’t just modify my body willy nilly”, tilting his head, “well it’s base state anyway”. Danny forms an eye on his hair to wink at the guy just for emphasis. 

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, at least he was pretty immune to body horror shit, “so you’re effectively a battery, heart, and food for the Zone, but also are -will be- literally the Zone. You’re gonna be a dimension”. 

Danny actually laughs a little into his hand at that, giving Lewis a little shoulder pat with his tail, “that’s a great way to put it!”, shaking his head with a smile, “yeah I’ve got a crazy future existence. And for that one question, it’s a_ long time_ in the future. The Zone’s probably good to run off the stockpile of Pariah for a few hundred more years. Well, unless something happens anyway”. Which, with his luck, was probable. Heck, he’s pretty sure Sam and Tucker have a bet going on whether or not it’ll happen before or after they graduate, before or after his parents eventually... _pass away_, or before or after _they_ _do_. Shaking his head and firmly pushing away thoughts of anyone dying, “and no man, currently my destruction won’t end the universe. The Zone will latch on to someone else... eventually. Now if I was king, that would be an issue since the Zone would decay right”, chuckling, “though in that case the throne would just be passed down to Elle”. 

Lewis blinks, “oh, so it’s tied to your lineage? Instead of exclusive to you”. 

“Yup, the typical royalty shtick”, tapping his chin, “though I think Sam and Tuck are classed as my brethren so they might kinda have a level of claim too. Dora, FrostBite, and Pandora are sorta family too. But they’re all complicated. And course, if I married then whoever would have their own claim”, and shrugs, “I wouldn’t put it past Vlad to try and wiggle his way in too”. 

Lewis sighs, “nothing is ever simple with you is it? And you have _more_ ghost family? _Really_?”. 

Danny shrugs awkwardly at that, “kinda? It’s weird man and not to the level of Clocky. Not even close”, grinning a little, “Dora sees me as the good protective older brother she never got to have. Pandora sees me as like a nephew or sorta godchild, ever since I got her box back. FrostBite’s kinda a mentor in all things icy, kinda worships me as some kind of chosen one, and they’re my doctor too sometimes”. 

Lewis blinks at that, “wait, you have a specialised doctor? Then why the Hell don’t you use them”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “of course that’s the part you care about mr. Doctor man. I can handle my own shit and I _do_ go to him for serious shit I can’t just handle myself”. Making Lewis sigh and shake his head, completely unimpressed. The boy had access to medical care and just... _didn’t use it_. Thinking of the whole setting Danny’s arm after he literally crashed though the car. Or at least he didn’t take advantage of medical care unless it was literally within arms reach. 

Maddie picks that moment to bolt over with a grin on her face, grabbing at Danny’s hand; Jack in the background looks to be throwing his fist up in a cheer. 

Danny rolls his eyes with a smile and lets her drag him off; Lewis studiously following after. Lewis seriously hoping this time _doesn’t_ result in yet another negative reaction. 

Danny looks over the CyberSteps, floating around them quickly. Putting his hands on the waist and peering down, tapping the off-centre clock timer with his tail tip, “looks good”. The very tip coiling around one of the clock hands a little, he likes it; it kinda felt like ClockWork. Pointedly ignoring Lewis’s slight chuckle. Jerk. 

Maddie and Jack both watch tensely but ridiculously excited all the while, as Danny grips the waist and slips his tail in, hopefully having to test out the ‘legs’ for the last time. 

Danny glances over his shoulder brace as he activates the neuroreceptor strip, watching it all snap on over the back brace; which Lewis is probably still unimpressed about. Then tilting his head, the draining felt practically the same as before; and it didn’t seem to be making his ecto freak. So that’s a check on the conductor. Looking down at the legs and quirking an eyebrow at the little clock timers clock hands spinning around. His mom obviously noticing, “I’m pretty sure that’s what it does when it’s calibrating, sweetie”. Which Danny nods at and decides to wait, going to try moving the legs once the clock hands chill out. And the toes/boot tips successfully bend upwards.

And with that, one Danny Fenton was no longer legless on main

_FIN_.

JK JK JK

Lewis watches as Danny wiggles the toes and bounces up on said toes some, before actually taking a few steps around. The movements were definitely a little jerky and he wasn’t moving them quite right, it was very much like he was trying out limbs he hadn’t had before. If Lewis were to guess, he’d say that’s likely because these robotic leg prosthetics didn’t work exactly the same as natural legs; so logically he’d have to learn how to pilot them properly. Watching Jack and Maddie stand in-front of him and all three pretty well beaming at each other; Jack even doing a little jig or something (whatever it is, Danny clearly finds it embarrassing). It was obvious Danny was proud of what his folks made, even if he didn’t honestly need it. Frankly he’s pretty sure Danny’s proud of the things his parents make in general, he just hadn’t liked the anti-ghost foundation they were built upon. Sure seemed they had gotten better about that though. Which is good, since the universe -somewhat technically- depended on that. 

Lewis nods once and walks closer -having given the family their little moment- and pats Danny’s arm brace, “well looks like you can walk upon this earth again. Though maybe practice”, pausing for a beat before adding, “no kicking people”.

Danny blinks at Lewis, “no kidding doc. _Literal_ steel toes here”. 

Lewis chuckles and gives his two (adult)friends pats, “congrats, you just made a breakthrough in probably a lot of fields, but most relevant to me, medical science. You’re officially scary smart. But-”, turning to Danny because the kid’s supposed to be injured and recovering. Gesturing at the neuroreceptor strip, “you. While this is great and all, you had _back surgery._ So I’m restricting use till your braces are good to come off and I check your spine out”. Honestly, he should outright ban it. 

Danny sticks his hands to the side and pouts a little, “oh come on doc”. 

Lewis crosses his arms, “most doctors wouldn’t have even let you_ test them or wear them at all_”. Danny rubs his neck at that. 

Maddie gives Lewis a sweet smile, “well thanks for letting us do this and I think we all understand”, looking to Danny, “right Danny?”. Danny grumbles incoherently but nods. 

Jack taps at his chin, watching Danny walk around a bit more, “what I don’t get, is how you moved the ones that didn’t work at all smoothly but these ones are being a bit jerky or over-exaggerated? Even if you originally weren’t working them even close to smooth with the tail”.

Danny shrugs, “uh, well I’ve never had brain to mechanics connections like this before. My brain and ecto might just, like I don’t know, learn how these interpret stuff?”. 

Lewis nods immediately because that was actually true really for learning how to work _any_ prosthetic, “there’s a learning curve with any prosthetic, they never move the exact same as the originals”, tilting his head, “and if what you’re thinking of Danny’s ghost being somewhat active is right, then the tail wouldn’t be truly new; simply normally inaccessible. Which you’ve effectively already implied to be the case to explain his ease of adapting. So his fine motor skills with his tail should be quite good, which would allow for it to take very little time for him to figure out how to grasp or say, _move things_, with said tail”, and nods curtly to himself. Pretty content with his explanation. 

Danny decidedly says nothing though Lewis just gave him a pretty damn good out. His parents' nods and smiles make that obvious.

Jack goes wide-eyed, coming upon an idea and blurting out, “ClockWork!”, then looking at his slightly confused looking son, “you said that ClockWork only has a tail! And that you’re basically related! Ghostly related!”. Everyone gives him slightly confused eyebrow quirks, so he explains himself, “so maybe your ghost took after them and just has a tail too!”. 

Maddie blinks and grins, “that does make sense”, ruffling Danny’s hair, “so that explains that“. Danny just shrugs, ‘cause in their mind, there’s no way he should know what his ghost looks like. But also, yeah, him being so comfortable and good with this was totally ClockWork’s fault. And he totally loves them for it. Intentionally swishing his tail around in the legs, kinda weird that he could move his tail without moving his legs. How in the heck is his brain -or ectoplasm maybe, Core?- differentiating between tail and legs? He’s totally going to fidget with his tail during class. No one will ever know! “Well still too bad my walking skills have gotten a bit _rusty_”. 

Lewis glances at his watch, pretty late; it would probably be the ‘responsible’ thing to encourage a _normal_ -or as normal as possible for a teenage superhero whose enemies seem to prefer the night- sleep schedule. “Alright, I know you probably want to celebrate all this but at the very least Danny should reestablish a proper sleep schedule. Sleep _is_ vital for healing and health after all”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “all doctor, all the time, huh?”. 

“Says mr. _Helpful_”. Danny scowls at that, because not the same. Not the fucking same. Though if the doc became a ghost his Obsession would probably be the same but maybe more curious ‘I wonder what will happen if’.

Danny looks around, “well first, can’t we at least have supper?”. Jack’s stomach growls as if being summoned, making everyone laugh. 

* * *

While Maddie gets to work making food, Jack and Lewis basically talk each other’s ears off with how the legs even worked at all; ‘cause Lewis is just stunned but intrigued and Jack is utterly excited. Danny sneaks up the stairs, totally unused to how damn loud these feet were; he’s gonna have to work on that because he loves how easily he can even accidentally sneak up silently on people. 

Danny stops in front of Jazz’s door and promptly kicks it in; the door simply opening loudly instead of being blown off its hinges purely because all the doors in the house were built to handle getting rammed and blasted. 

“Zone! Danny! Why in the Zone are you kicking in doors!”. Jazz pauses, “wait, _you kicked it in_”, looking to his legs and leaping up, “holy shit Danny! _You’ve got legs_!”, rushing over and pinching the CyberSteps, “can you actually feel this?!?!”. 

Danny grins stupidly, puts his hands on his hips, and poses ridiculously, “yup, totally can”, tilting his head, “not quite the same though”. 

Jazz practically jumps on him and hugs him around the neck, “oh who cares! This is great Danny!”, letting go and brushing off his braces, “I bet mom and dad were just stoked”. 

Danny nods almost sheepishly, “oh definitely”, cringing a little, “dad did a jig”, making her cringe as he continues, “Lewis also crushed their spirits a little by limiting my leg time. Though we are still baking eggies to celebrate my leggies”, and grins. 

Jazz sighs with a head shake, “I was wondering if they forgot about supper again”. 

“Oh they did”. 

Jazz blinks, “of course they did”. 

Lewis walks in, arms crossed and judgmental eyebrow raised, “there you are. You do realise I’m supposed to be keeping an eye on the kid who broke basically everything, should have died, is in braces and bandages, and is now trying out brand new experimental prosthetics that interact with his brain and the spine _he broke_”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “geez tell me what you _really_ mean”. 

Jazz pokes Danny, “he does have a point you know. You _are_ supposed to be injured”. Danny scowls at her but rounds on Lewis, sticking his arms out to the side, “so when can I obliterate these things”. 

“Never. They’re hospital property. Casts can’t be reused, braces can”. 

Jazz immediately cringes at that, Danny’s the one to speak though, “you don’t want to do that. I bet you ten bucks these are all ecto-contaminated. And I doubt you want them coming to life, or death really, and trying to eat someone’s arm or something”. 

Lewis blinks, “alright, you can destroy them”, that would be a lawsuit waiting to happen. A very strange lawsuit. ‘My arm brace came to life and ate my firstborn’, would certainly be a new one. 

Danny grins wickedly and promptly bursts into blue flames, actually managing to make Lewis jump back and Jazz yelp.

Lewis watches the ashes of the braces flutter to the ground, before giving (the no longer on fire)Danny an exasperated look, “I didn’t mean now”, squinting, “and how did you not burn the CyberSteps?”. 

Danny creates a flame over his fingers, “ecto-fire”, pointing the other hand at the CyberSteps, “anti-ecto”, then adding, “only a little though, otherwise it would be anti-me”. 

Lewis shakes his head, “can’t have that now can we?”. Danny grins and points out the door, promptly walking off at Lewis saying, “so long as an _adult_ who knows your ecto or tech is around you”.

Lewis looks to Jazz, “he certainly seems better for his ghostliness, doesn’t he”. 

Jazz smiles soft and sweet, “I used to worry about him, even got the vice principal to force him to see a therapist. But once I found out, it made sense and I knew he was okay. That not only was he good mentally, or as good as he could be, but also just good as a person”, giggling a little, “now of course I still worry, that’s what sisters do after all. But he’s a day at a time mentally, there isn’t exactly a standard for a halfa, for being mentally two species that are really opposites; and Vlad’s not exactly a good example. He needs a therapist more than Danny does”. 

Lewis chuckles at that and nods, “can’t say I disagree. Though I wouldn't say Danny particularly comes off as someone who needs therapy, he hides his traumas well. Which, well, hiding things from a therapist equals not getting effective therapy”. 

Jazz gives him a smile that practically reads ‘you misunderstand’, “that’s because he’s at the stage of acceptance now”, Lewis quirks an eyebrow so she explains, “people grieve when someone dies, and I believe the dead grieve their death just as much if not more”, nodding a little to herself, “at first he tried to convince himself nothing had changed, the abilities would just wear off; he even went through an ‘I’m not dead!’ phase, that came later though”.

Lewis tips his head, “well to be fair, most people don’t expect to be dead but still walking around, and half-dead just sounds impossible. So thinking he’s not dead seems more like being logical than being in denial”. 

Jass gives him an almost pitying look, “yeah but he was apparently pretty desperate and freaked about it. Less simple logic and having an issue with the impossible, more desperation to deny what they know is true”. 

Lewis nods, ah okay Danny definitely had a harder time than he had thought. He’s kinda glad he didn’t meet Danny back then because again, he’s not good at dealing with freaking out breaking down emotional types. 

Jazz nods and keeps going, “Sam and Tucker said they effectively had to convince him not to just tell his parents and beg them to fix him once he realised things weren’t going away. He hated the powers, the changes; that’s the point when I noticed something was up, that he seemed depressed. I pushed for the therapy when he started being just angry, all the time”. 

Lewis nods, “ah, I guess that does sound like grieving. In that case, I’m glad he’s in the acceptance stage”. 

Jazz grins, she certainly was, “same. His Obsession, his friends -especially the ghost ones-, the weird love/hate thing the town has for him; I think all that helped. Which is how I imagine it is typically for most ghosts; minus the last one”, pointing at him, “though I think you've helped with acceptance, he seems less affected by your name, and those blue flames he used there?”, grinning wider, “many times he’s refused to ever use that, so somethings happened there”.

Lewis blinks, ah the pyrokinesis was probably a power ‘Dan’ had and used liberally. “I may have effectively reasoned with his Obsession why he shouldn’t fear certain futures and that it would make him a shittier king. Used ClockWork too, or more so a quote Danny made of them”. 

Jazz raises her eyebrows, “you must think pretty differently for that to have worked out”, frowning slightly, “I’d watch it, taking advantage of his Obsession too often will start coming off as malicious to the Obsession”. 

Lewis shrugs, yeah he kinda figured that one. Like tempting Vee with chocolate. Eventually you’ll lose a few fingers. _Literally_. “I’m not one for social queues, living or dead ones. And he’d make a good surgeon, very _helpful_. And telling me things is _helpful_. And sure, I may have given him an Obsessive Crisis but my reasoning was sound”. 

Jazz blinks, walks over, and smacks him over the head, “_how _has Danny not assaulted you yet?!?”. 

Lewis takes it in stride, he had been smacked a great many times for insensitivity, and smirks, “might be that my whole career is helpful, I’m a helper all the same. Protecting people from the outcomes of their stupidity like shoving a cheese grater up their ass or eating nails”. 

Jazz goes a little wide-eyed, “that actually makes _sense_. Obsession similarity is a major comradery thing for ghosts”, pausing, “also, is that really a common thing people do? Though the nails probably had something to do with pica”. 

“We keep a white board of all the things people have shoved up their asses, one guy’s made it on the board multiple times; I admire the tenacity”, Lewis smirks as she gives him a strange look and just moves to head downstairs. 

They come down to a slightly concerned-looking Danny sitting backwards on the couch but resting his chin over the back of the couch, watching his parents. Looking to Lewis when he notices them and making ‘psst’ noises at him; which makes Lewis wonder if he’s being hissed at for a bit, which considering the upstairs conversation would make some sense. 

Jazz heads into the kitchen while Lewis walks over to Danny. 

Danny scuttles over and hiss whispers, “so I wasn’t sure if me actually being braceless was, like, a good thing? ‘Cause, like, maybe you know otherwise and I, like an idiot, didn’t confirm things-”.

Lewis chooses to cut off what’s definitely going to be a ramble, “it’s _fine_, Danny. Honesty, I was considering removing them entirely pretty soon here. You’re fine”. 

Danny grins and gives a little relieved sigh, before looking slightly freaked again and gesturing to his chest, his bare heavily scared toned chest, “also totally forgot about the bandaging. I mean what am I, a _wire stripper_?”. 

Lewis is pretty sure most people would find how he goes from flesh straight to metal more eye-catching than the scarring; even if it was pretty major. Danny’s likely more worried about Jack and Maddie seeing though. And well, Danny being completely healed was very obvious this way. Which might be pushing it, “yeah, you look too healthy like this”. 

Danny blinks, “I wasn’t actually thinking of that but point”. Lewis gestures up the stairs, so they head up to Danny’s (still uncleaned)room to redo bandaging. 

Lewis shakes his head while unrolling bandaging, “you’d think you’d be encouraged to clean after your encounter”. Danny rolls his eyes and holds out his arms after disconnecting the CyberSteps. Lewis pauses and taps his chin, thinking of it, “actually, let’s just bandage where you had the most serious damage”. 

So Lewis gets to work on the waist wrapping, again noting how strange Danny coming to a totally smooth flat end is. He’s going to have to pin the blame on Danny’s tail if his friends ask, because this is not only not medical standard but medically impossible. Not to mention physically impossible, so many half cut off organs and where the heck are his intestines? His poor digestive system; and that’s ignoring his lower excretory system being basically non-existent. He’d lose his license if he took credit here. Muttering mostly to himself, “how the Hell do you shit”. 

Danny blinks before bursting out laughing, “did you seriously just ask that?!?!?”, shaking his head, “doc? Anyone ever tell you you’re weird?”.

Lewis smirks, “all the time”.

Danny smirks himself, “ghosts ‘excrete’ everything via shedding off ectoplasm, so what do you think”, and points at his tail, which is currently waving intangibly through Lewis. Danny, for kicks, makes It shed more noticeably; just to fuck with the guy a little. 

Lewis pauses and side-eyes the tail, “is that... sanitary?”. Making Danny fall backwards on the bed cackling. Lewis has so many questions. Does his ectoplasm just burn it up? and it comes off kinda like smoke? Or does his ectoplasm digest it for fuel? Danny did imply he could get by on just ectoplasm (which a human can’t do) or just food (which a ghost can’t do). 

Danny puts an arm over his eyes and wheezes, “nothing can survive the ecto, oh man. Haha. Does a better job than bleach”, and wheezes some more. 

Lewis nods, moving to Danny’s chest -because honestly, what in there _hadn’t_ been obliterated. Other than the Core and even that was hurt- and unrolling more, “well that’s good then”. Making quick work of the chest and grabbing Danny’s left hand up. 

Danny chuckles, “yeah, I crushed, like, everything in that one”. 

Lewis starts wrapping very quickly at the sound of an explosion outside and icy mist leaving Danny’s mouth. Ghosts and their timing. Managing to finish before Danny transforms and zips off through his window; leaving Lewis to stand up, put his hands on his hips, and shake his head. 

* * *

Danny glances around, pretty sure he can smell something really strange that he’s never smelled before but ignores that at promptly spotting Red shooting at Boxy, Danny floats over, “I’m guessing you don’t really need or want my help here?”. 

Red opens her visor purely to scowl at him and shoots the Box Ghost without even looking, “fuck off, _Phantom_”. 

“YOUR DISTRACTION WILL BE YOUR DOOM!!!! AND MY BOXY REVENG-”. Getting cut off via a rocket to the mouth and both teens telling him to shut up. Red promptly capturing him and rounding on Danny.

Danny quirks an eyebrow because her just cutting off a Boxy beat down was weird. Red snaps at him, “obviously you've noticed shit’s up with the Fenton’s, so you better be leaving them alone, spook”. 

Danny nods a little, “kinda easy to notice when those two are or aren’t out hunting”, continuing at it feeling like she’s squinting at him, “I ain’t pestering them, Red”. It’s true. Phantom wasn’t technically pestering his parents. Fenton was. 

Red studies him for a bit before nodding and appears to sigh, “well the sons got a ghost tail now, like you guys”, Danny changes his legs to a tail for example, which she points at, “yeah, that. And you’re not too terribly evil and he slammed his face into a wall trying to use the thing”.

Danny gives a mock very offended, “hey”. Before blinking and going slightly wide-eyed at a realisation, “wait, are you asking me to_ teach him?_”, how does he get himself into this kind of shit?

Red huffs, “you're supposed to be this town’s ‘protector’ and dealer with ghost shit, it’s supposedly your _job_”, then adding with bite and meaning, “unless _you don’t actually care about people and just like fighting_”, shrugging, “and even you wouldn’t be stupid or reckless enough to mess with the youngest child of ghost hunters”. Any ghost that did mess with Jazz or Danny probably saw Hell from the Fenton’s. And Phantom might be literally the only ghost Danny wouldn’t run away from. Maybe. And wasn’t there that time the house came to life or something and Danny and Phantom both helped with that? 

Danny blinks, “yeah, I’m not stupid. Still remember Jack punching -yeah, punching, not shooting- Plasmius to a pulp for screwing with the Fenton family”. That was one of Danny’s favourite memories. 

Red blinks, opening her visor again and just leaving it that way, “that really happened? Damn”, she’s never felt genuinely impressed by Jack before. 

Danny nods, “yup, and Red? Our bodies, the floating, that shit comes naturally. It’s not taught”. 

Red snaps, “but he’s not a ghost, _Phantom_”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “ghost body part. Same thing. And our bodies ain’t all the same you know”.

Red points at his tail, “well his and yours move similar, so there”.

Danny pointedly doesn’t look sheepish or anything at that, he should just agree -fuck his luck- before she starts pointing out other similarities, “geez fine”, pausing and floating a bit closer, “wait, you haven’t been just asking every ghost you see to play teacher, have you?”, for the love of the Ancients say no. 

Red scowls at him and refuses to back up, “I’m not a moron either, _Phantom_. Just you”, squinting, “why?”.

Danny backs off a little and shrugs, “ghost social thing. It’s a few phrases shy of asking a ghost to adopt someone. Which would be kinda mean”, tilting his head, “if you asked Skulker that, you probably would never see Danny again”, if Danny Fenton was a regular human (with a ghost tail somehow) and couldn’t beat Skulker’s face in, anyways. 

Red blinks, “what? You’re not ‘adopting’ him“.

Danny rolls his eyes, “well obviously. What you asked could just be taken that way. But I’m still a child so it don’t matter”. 

Red shakes her head, “you ghosts are strange. Don’t adopt Danny, just give him tail tips or something”.

Danny snorts and chuckles, “just the tip?”, and pokes her board with his tail tip quickly before zipping away cackling. Red growls and shoots at him while shouting, “you disgust me!”. 

* * *

Lewis had eventually wandered down into the kitchen, everyone raising the eyebrows at him, probably over Danny’s absence, “decided to take the chance to check up on Danny’s healing and wrapping. He’s stretching out his new bandaging _and_ taking a break from the prosthetics”, nodding curtly, “the braces aren’t really needed anymore”. Jazz giggles quietly. 

Maddie and Jack beam, Jack practically cheering, “awesome!”. Both of them super glad to hear that he genuinely as okay as he keeps insisting he is. His ecto likely being to blame, which is okay. 

Just then Danny comes back, sticking his head through the kitchen doorway before pausing, “shit! Forgot my shirt”, and ducks his head before zipping back upstairs. Shouting down at everyone laughing or giggling or snorting, “its been a while since I’ve worn clothes alright! I’ve got hardware and software, but no underwear!”. 

Lewis actually laughs at that, “pretty sure that’s one thing you don’t need!”, and speaks up again as Danny renters, “you know, a stripper that crushed both her knees said that to me once”. Making pretty much everyone choke. 

Maddie steamrolls right over the adult implications of that and plates the eggs. Lewis raising an eyebrow, “eggs for supper? That’s weird”. 

Danny coughs and gives Lewis an ‘I can’t believe you just said that’ look and promptly takes the opening, “that's not weird, your pants are weird”. 

Lewis looks down, “they’re just sweat pants”, then pauses, wait that sounded familiar. Looking back up and shaking his head, “you really just quoted a commercial for eggs at me”. 

Danny grins like he’s the cat that caught the canary, “you started it, doc”. 

Maddie grins, digging into her food. Danny seemed more confident. She’s not sure if Lewis just had that effect on him or if it was because of him not utterly hiding his ghostliness around them anymore and them giving the good ghosts thing a real chance. Which made her think it’s all worth it. Trusting a ghost or too, being more neutral about ghosts, rethinking the science; and getting her son back more genuinely, knowing him better, was a great deal. Even if that meant her and Jack had practically been villains to Phantom and other maybe good ghosts; which was an uncomfortable thought. Because really? if ghosts could be good then Phantom being a hero was practically undeniable. And who shoots at a hero? Villains. 

Seeing Danny in a loose long sleeve makes her unable to really feel bad though, he looked genuinely like himself again. His hand being bandaged up was a reminder of his injuries however; and she can see a bit peaking out of his collar. Glancing at his other hand, when had he gotten scars there? Though more importantly, _how had she never noticed???_ Or did his recent injuries scar over that fast. Both were a little concerning. Though she knows he’ll have scarring, Dan said as much. 

Lewis’s phones goes off with a big fat ‘_fuck you_’ from Eddie for not saving any brownies and a pic of stew which was probably meant to be some kind of ‘_well look what I made and you can’t have’. Lewis just sends back ‘who did the cooking? ‘Cause if it’s you Eddie, I think I’m good_’ predictably getting swears in return. Lewis decides to take a photo of what he’s eating, answering Danny’s raised eyebrow, “Eddie made stew and is attempting to brag about that”.

“I hope there wasn’t any pota_toes_ or baked _beings_”. 

Jazz smacks him over the head while Lewis scrunches up his eyebrows, because that... that was actually something they would do. Getting a response from Vee reading ‘_FRIED BABY BIRD NICE'_ didn’t help. Lewis shakes his head at Danny, muttering, “don’t give them ideas”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “well then I hope you don’t let Vee near your feet”, Lewis gives him some confused eyebrows so Danny smirks and continues very smugly, “they might want some _men toes_ for their breath afterwards”. Lewis sighs. Jack and Maddie just look confused though.

* * *

While Danny finally wakes up the next morning, Maddie watches Lewis start breakfast. Jack is attempting to wake up himself with a cold shower. And Jazz has been up for a while sipping tea and reading in her room. 

Danny stretches out a little, telekinetically dragging over the CyberSteps and slipping in; this was basically what he was going to be doing for however long in place of underwear. And fuck it, he’s not gonna bother with pants. Kinda pointless and he’s owning his metal. Might as well. Nabbing up his comfortable sweater, the one that never catches on bandaging. Twisting his upper body back and forth, didn’t seem like it would catch on the neuroreceptors either. Nice. 

It was honestly still kinda strange walking again, using metal to do that was just a little bit weirder. Cool as shit too though. 

Danny turns to the door at hearing a shout of: “IT’S NOT JUST US! YES!”. So he heads downstairs and thus walks into the sight of Lewis staring in confused curiosity at a pan he’s holding with three screaming grill-cheese sandwiches in it. One sprouts a little hand and tries to grab a fork, Lewis just bats it away like a misbehaving cat’s paw; a dirty look on his face all the while. 

Danny walks in and looks down, “uh, congrats doc it’s a girl... I think”.

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, “you can tell?”.

Danny scowls, "no, I was making a fucking joke, doc". 

Maddie puts her hands on her hips, "language Danny”. Catching Danny slightly off guard and making him blush, “oh um uh, sorry?”. Maddie just shakes her head. 

Sam and Tucker barge in while Lewis lifts up the pan, “obviously this is inedible for us, but you?”. Danny gives him a serious ‘are you fucking me’ look. 

Maddie immediately butts in, “why would-”, and cuts herself off, going wide-eyed. Looking to Danny, “actually, could you? Do you... want to try?”. 

Jack practically bolts over, having just caught that, “oh that would be so cool! We wouldn’t have to scrap food so often!”. 

Sam and Tucker come over grinning meanly at him. Tucker speaking up, “do it coward. Be a man”, Sam kicks him. Sam looks over the pan, unphased by the screaming and weird bubbling, but scowls at the cheese; or what once was cheese, “you already stole the poor cows milk, don’t insults them more by trashing it”.

Danny mutters at the floor, “I feel like I’m being ganged up on here”, though obviously not actually bothered. His mom makes him laugh though when she hands him a glass of ‘help you swallow it down’ milk. Danny takes it and looks to Sam with a smirk, “now I know you reject milk, but hopefully you’re not lack-_toes_-intolerant”. 

The two teens look down at his feet, about to comment that he had those again, Tucker giving a little nod, “huh, no toes”. 

Danny just chuckles, wiggles his ‘toes’, “hope you like _roboots_”, everyone sighs and the grill-cheeses scream a little more, which absolutely grabs Danny’s attention. Turning to the pan, “okay, now you _are_ getting eaten. Feed my _cyborgans_”. 

Sam mutters, “Ancients damnit, Danny”. While Danny grabs one of the sandwiches, smacks one of the other ones that tried to bite him, and cuts off the one he grabbed’s screaming by biting It with fake aggression. 

Sam and Tucker both start laughing, while the adults all just kinda watch with bated breaths. Maddie’s pretty sure she can actually see him absorbing ectoplasm through his skin off the -what should they call It?- ecto-sandwich. Was certainly interesting that this was even technically safe for him. His Core would just eat all the ectoplasm before it could even possibly cause issues. And that ecto-immunity Jack considered him to have should mean all his human stuff can handle the ectoplasm; possibly even good for him. Feed his ghostly stuff, which probably only got anything from how contaminated the town and house were. Or maybe his Core could convert human food to ectoplasm, just like how food in general here could become ectoplasmic. 

Jack sounds more than a little excited, “so! How’s it taste!?!”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, slightly embarrassed, “spicy cream cheese”. Jack looking excitedly giddy just makes Danny genuinely blush, though a bit happy that he made him happy. And he was _actually_ hungry so fuck it, he’s eating his sandwich; that much ecto making his eyes green be damned. 

Maddie makes a point to not react to his eyes going green -like they had when his ectoplasm was overcharged she notes- as Danny finishes off the ecto-wich. Lewis laughs and just shoves the pan at him. 

Danny grumbles, “anyone else would get burned you know”. Lewis just shrugs with a grin as he moves to make something else, but vegan suitable; which hopefully won’t come to life. Everyone else -except Sam who chooses to lean against the wall- sit around the table. Jack and Maddie making a point to ignore the oddness of Danny woofing down the other two plasumwiches -much better name- straight out of the pan; the cold of his skin contacting the pan making a little bit of steam. Lewis attempts to take a subtle photo but of course Danny notices, giving the most suspicious sounding, “what's up doc?”, Lewis thinks is even possible. 

“Eddie will get a kick out of this. Thing’s cropped, curb your paranoia”. Danny’s only response is a huff. The response Lewis gets back from Eddie nearly makes him choke though: Vee’s face sandwiched between bread and Eddie biting it/them; Lewis isn’t going to ask why he’s not wearing a shirt, but is wearing a tacky necklace (and of course his brackets, but he never takes those off). Lewis decides screw it, Danny’s friends knew, were just as weird, and that chat thing Tucker set up was almost disturbingly secure -yet they still used codes like paranoid little fuckers, and they were at least kinda cool with aliens; so he tosses the photo into the group chat, with a password to view though ‘cause why not be paranoid too; though it’s an obvious one. 

Tucker, not surprising the doctor in the least, is the first to check and chokes on his food. 

_PDAXpda: **@everyone**_

_PDAxpda: what_

_PDAxpda: pray tell_

_PDAxpda: the fuck is that_

_Tiethief: space monster _

_Tiethief: and reporter mouth _

_NightShade: you suck at names_

_NightShade: **@DPain** do yer job _

Just a little later Danny checks his phone and wigs out. His hair fluffing up a little like some anime bullshit, the legs swinging around probably ‘cause his tail is wiggling or something a bunch, the ecto in his eyes making tiny little sparks; Jack and Maddie watching the reaction more so with awe and curiosity than unnerved worry. 

_DPain: hdieksnhrjsHHUDJjhhudikwdhjHhdnsjdkoajbdhuejzk_

_DPain: zhHhudjnshakbusfjkabjhUSJJNhdkakbsjbuijdh_

_DPain: TINY MURDER COBOOB IS BLOB_

_DPain: TINY MURDERY ALIEN BLOB_

_DPain: FUCK ME DADSY_

_DPain: anyway_

_DPain: cjsinsbdhaihujsmkfhdkajhdnfcjai_

_DPain: space mon fine _

_DPain: othera meat puppet _

_DPain: djiafdwih_

_DPain: best blob be nommed_

_PDAxpda: first look at murder goo_

Lewis looks up at the ceiling as he pockets his phone before spooning out the stir fry. Less breakfasty, but more edible. Giving Sam Tucker’s veggies and throwing some real bacon bits into Tucker’s. Danny takes a small plate even though he ate three bloody sandwiches -maybe the ectoplasm went somewhere else and thus didn’t fill him up?- and munches still looking overly excited. 

Sam points her fork at Danny’s feet kinda bouncing around. He shrugs and snickers, “looks like I've got a few new _roboticks_”.

Which makes Jazz groan as she comes in, “ignoring that, what smells so good?”, looking Danny over slightly and quirking any eyebrow over his green sparky eyes. 

Sam rolls her eyes, biting a pepper, “your parents’ made ghost food again”.

Maddie immediately sits up straight, “Dan did actually”. Jack practically cheering, “so it’s not just us!”.

Jazz mutters, “that’s not actually comforting”, because that means it’s either the house's fault or the utensils/cookware. 

Sam huffs, “more reason not to have animal products”.

Tucker laughs, “more like reason to!”, and jabs a thumb at Danny. Who throws a quiet, “prick”, Tucker’s way. 

Maddie shakes her head a little as the teens poke fun at each other. Yeah they knew and were used to it. Which was... probably good for Danny. Hurt a little to confirm though. She understands though; her and Jack will just have to continue to be better then.

Not too long later, Lewis is putting away leftovers, Jazz and Maddie are on clean-up duty, Danny’s eyes are back to fucking normal, and Jack’s giving the CyberSteps steps a once over. 

Tucker nudges Danny, ignoring Jack doing the typical ‘can you feel this?’ thing, “so theatre’s open. Feel like taking your limbs for a test drive?”. 

Maddie immediately pauses with her washcloth, making a point to sound stern, “only if Dan okay’s it, sweetie”. 

All the teens look to Lewis, who smirks and fakes being unsure, “oh I don’t know”, relenting at the scowls, “so long as he’s not left alone I don’t see a problem with it”. Tucker immediately high fives Danny, before Jack steps back with a smile; letting Danny run only kinda coordinatedly up the stairs to grab pants. 

Danny decides fuck it and opts out of shoes; the CyberSteps toes/boots look like, well, boots. Heading back down and the three friends walk to the door. Jack and Maddie smiling to themselves over the fact that Danny can actually _walk around town with his friends. _

Just as Danny’s reaching for the handle there’s a knock and Danny’s pretty sure he smells smoke... and that weird new smell from yesterday? Shrugging and opening the door to the sight of a guy who looked like hot garbage yet healthyish. His hair looked like a comb would get stuck in it yet smooth. One bloodshot eye, yet they were also totally clear. Clearly unbrushed teeth, though white. In a leather jacket with burn marks, off-white t-shirt, and torn-up jeans. And a cigarette in one had, dirt under literally every fingernail and in the nail-beds. 

“Wow someone’s speed lightning”, the dude looks around, “your yard’s kinda not shit so I’mma just put this out in my pocket”, and shoves the cigarette into his pants. Danny watches the pocket smoke and slowly gain a new hole as the guy speaks, “so if it ain’t obvious, name’s Eddie. Eddie Brock”. 

Danny blinks, gapes a little -which the guy smirks over, and laughs. Because yeah, this is _exactly_ his luck.


	10. Epilogue: Aliens, Ghosts, And Humans! Oh My!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vee’s a bastard, Danny’s a bastard, Eddie’s a bastard, ClockWork’s a bastard, Lewis’s a bastard; everyone’s a bastard. And multiple minor characters say why the fuck not and join the bastardly fray.

Danny sighs and turns his head back towards the kitchen, “Lewis! Come collect your monsterfucker boy toy!”. Eddie rolls his eyes like he’s heard this a fair few times. 

Lewis walks over, “Eddie? Really? I mean one, kid’s not healed. Two-”, grinning, “-thanks for winning me a bet”, and side-eyeing Danny. 

Danny points at him, “hey, doesn’t mean-”. Eddie doesn’t even let him finish that, smirking, “oh it does mean”. Danny sighs and hands Lewis what he thinks is a twenty though really? He’s kinda amused. Smirking at Eddie, “congrats, first dude to ever figure things out on their own”. 

Sam shakes her head grabs everyone but Lewis and drags them out of the house. Lewis shakes his head, sips at his drink, and heads back over to his friends; Danny could handle Eddie. 

Eddie blinks as they stop getting dragged by the goth, “are you serious kid? You look nearly identical with the glowy bullshit edited out”. 

Sam smirks, “people are stupid and Danny’s a walking existential crisis”, looking to Tucker and Danny, “so much for Vampire Dad 2 I’m guessing?”.

Danny immediately points at them, “no you go, illegally record it or some shit”. 

Tucker rolls his eyes, “you just don’t want us around Mr. Murders And Eats People without checking him out”.

Literally both Eddie and Danny respond with, “hey and I’m taken”. 

Tucker blinks, “okay that was fucking weird”, while Danny and Eddie side-eye each other. Sam shakes her head and pulls Tucker off, knowing damn well Danny will just become a ball of overprotective. 

Eddie shouts after them, “let it be known! We don’t eat kids!”. Which makes Danny wheeze when some dude at a stoplight shouts back at them, “good! I’m supposed to be getting my mom some blue hydrangeas from the goth! Doubt I can get then from a digested corpse!”. 

Eddie mumbles, “everyone in this town is fucking weird”, looking to the side, “shut the fuck up bitch”. Which just makes Danny laugh more. Eddie looks to him, “anyway, you smell fucking weird and those are the most convincing fake leg crap ever”, sighing, “no, we’re not taste-testing”. 

Danny snorts and kicks a rock as they start walking randomly, “actually totally do, I’m curious and, I’ve got legs for _days_”, and slides his hand down his leg with mock sexiness. 

“Do you have a death wis-”, before going wide-eyed and suddenly getting bodily flung into Danny, “no! I don’t think he’s serious!”, regardless they end up in a bush with Danny muttering ‘ow’ and missing a bit of shoulder. 

Danny stands himself up easily -a bush is by far not the worst thing he’s been bodily shoved into- and rolls his shoulder, Vee’s got some sharp teeth. Damn. Eddie untangles himself and staggers up, making some faces and muttering, “that’s it, no Lindor for you”. Danny lifts an eyebrow when a little black oily snake or something just sprouts out of the guys' shoulder, seemingly sneering all teeth, “HE OFFERED EDDIE”. Eddie grabs the head? and shoves them at his shoulder muttering, “back in, bitch”. 

Danny starts wheezing as Eddie looks to him, “also you- oh”, turns back to the bush and promptly throws up. Making Danny fall on his ass laughing, so much for can eat anything! Snapping a probably not flattering pic of the guy bent over a bush, captioning it ‘_guess who’s inedible_’, and throws it in the Phantom chat. 

Eddie hacks a bit, hands on his knees. Wiping his mouth, “ugh”, blinking down at the weird black/green bubbling sludge on the ground, that was slightly dissolving the bush leaves, “what the Hell are you made outta, kid?”. 

Danny laughs loudly, “death!”. Laughing more at the little black snakehead popping out of the guys' neck and sticking out their tongue at him; he thinks they look either disgusted or slightly ill. 

Eddie rights himself and quirks an eyebrow at Danny’s totally healed shoulder, “fuck you heal fast”. 

Danny chuckles some more, standing up off the sidewalk and giving his shoulder a little pat, “Lewis lied, I’m completely healed. Family just don’t know. And to _actually_ answer your question, ectoplasm and human stuff too”, pointing at the bush, “but that was probably the ecto”.

“Well I guess I ain’t eating fucking ghosts anytime soon”.

“JUST SPIT DON’T SWALLOW”. Danny wheezes more at the little head and Eddie looks to them, “the Internet was a mistake”. 

“BUT WHERE WOULD YOU WATCH POR-”. Eddie smashes them against his skin, “no! He’s actually a minor. And we’re in public, asshole”. Looking to Danny, “how the fuck were you in Egypt though?”. 

Danny shrugs, “eh, I’m tight with the god of time”. Eddie blinks and mutters to the side, “fuck me”. Danny chuckles, “no?”, which Eddie actually laughs at. 

Eddie looks around, “alright, since someone made me lose my perfectly fine lunch, there a hotdog stand or some shit?”. 

Danny snorts, “no clue if you’re referring to me or Vee”, tilting his head, “huh, that rhymes”, smirking, “cool”, looking back at Eddie, “if it’s food you’re after then the Nasty Burger’s the place”. 

Eddie tilts his head and shrugs, “eh you made us eat at a place called fucking Flavours Of Negros ‘cause you thought they served people”. Danny decides against commenting on that one for so many reasons. 

Danny walks and points in the direction of the place, “if it’s anything, it used to be the Tasty Burger before someone stole the T”. 

Eddie quirks an eyebrow, “that explains nothing”.

Danny shrugs, “there was a public vote and adults hated how all the teens loved the place. One mayor even banned teens from there”. 

“Oh the stinking rich one that’s definitely shady as fuck and is kinda like you but for some reason is rocking some vampire bullshit?”.

Danny pauses and blinks at the guy, what the fuck? “How the- okay I get how you figured me out, I literally challenged and baited you. But how the fuck did you put Vlad and Plasmius together?”. 

Eddie gives a goofy grin, a very smug one, “I didn’t, but thanks for confirming”. 

Danny grumbles, “sneaky bastard”, but is smirking the whole time, “how’d you narrow him down to Plasmius though?”.

Eddie shrugs, hands in his pockets, “ego the size of the moon and rich people are always into weird shit”, pausing and rolling his eyes, “babe, we’re an alien/human cluster fuck. We absolutely are one of them fucking rich people into weird shit”. 

“There’s a lot of ways I could take that”, Danny tilts his head, “wait, you’re rich?”. What?

Eddie grins like an idiot, “Life Foundation paid me out big for infecting me with a venereal disease- I mean Symbiote”. Danny just watches as the guys' legs seemingly gain a mind of their own and walks him straight into a pole. 

Danny shakes his head at the guy not even seeming phased by that. “Well, I got jack shit for dying”. 

Eddie points at him, “so you legit straight-up fucking died? Not just falling in a vat of ghost acid like some fucking spooky Joker bullshit, but less ‘murder a bitch in a burning pile of cash’ more ‘I actually think spandex looks good like a damn fool’”. 

“Hey, don’t diss the supersuit! That shit’s my skin man”, shrugging, “at least a layer of it. I fucking died in that shit. On that note, don’t walk into giant vortex tunnel portals to alternate dimensions fuelled by four billion volts of electricity built by explosion prone people who leave switches inside stuff and want to punch holes into the afterlife for funsies, science, and a little bit of mild torturing”.

“Huh. Well fuck your life too then kid. Literally”, rolling his eyes, “not _that_ literally. We don’t kill kids and I don’t think we can make someone double dead”. 

Danny sticks up a finger, “actually that happens. And I’m only half-dead, motherfucker. Check yer facts”, smirking, “I’m a real_ dead-ringer_ for life, and too bad doc gave away my scraps. ‘Cause if I tossed ‘em in the portal I could really have one foot in my grave”. 

“I’m pretty sure he’s not supposed to do that- bitch that is exactly why our ass will never be a doctor”, almost looking genuinely offended, “hey, you leave my intellect out of this, you cunt”. 

Danny wheezes a bit, does this guy really just talk like this? “How have you not been forcibly admitted to a mental asylum? And no he ain’t but can’t let torture happy gov dogs have my shit”.

Eddie grins wide at that. “You know so I give precisely zero fucks. And nice, fuck the government. I think we’ll get on fine”. 

Danny snorts, “oh I have serious beef with the gov. Fuck them. I absolutely have blown up government bases before”. 

Eddie nods approvingly and actually fist bumps Danny, “fucking same, and I have enough dirt on people I could ruin their lives if they came after me”. 

Danny grins almost menacingly, “the government section that’s here is a literal government secret and completely ignore any and all laws. Wouldn’t put it past them to experiment on child corpses or assassinate the president if he seemed ghost friendly”, shrugging, “Tuck keeps tabs on them, dudes a damn good hacker”. 

Eddie tilts his head and nods, “I could use one of those”.

Danny snapping, “not for murder you don’t”. 

“You’re too moral”.

“You’re not moral enough”.

Both of them wind up laughing at that since neither actually sounded serious or genuine. 

Eddie shakes his head, “anyway, what’d Dan do with your leggy bits?”, muttering to the side, “Dan doesn’t eat people, Vee, and you’re never going to convince him to try”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “gave it to a ghost, Skulker was probably tickled green to get even part of my pelt”, pointing at Eddie, “he’s a poacher. He would cry tears of joy over successfully skinning me”. 

Eddie stares at him, Vee’s little head popping out and opening their mouth very wide, “WHAT THE FUCK”. 

Danny smirks, he effectively freaked an alien; talk about life, or death, goals, “I have issues. Many of them. And they like to shoot at me”, glancing around at the finally clear street before full force grabbing Vee’s face, “I’ve held off but, oh my Ancients alien sofuckingcoolohmyancientsfuckingfuckyoufeelsofuckingcoolwhatsyourchemicalcompositionlike?canyoueatEddie’seyesandleakdownhischeakslikeblackmurderspacetears’causeIhadareallycooldreamaboutthatdoyouhaveanyspacerocks?ohmyAncientshowfarawayisyourspacerock?isitevenrock?orgas?floatylava!oh!oh!isitallblacklikeyou?orisblackrarecolouringforsymbiotes?redwouldberealcoolbutkindalikebloodwhichweirdrightgreenwouldbefunnycauseI’mallgreenydoyourcoloursevenmeananything?you’relikealittlevoidahungryvoidandohmyAncientsyoureyesaresocoolhowdotheywork?whatcoloursdoyousee?whatsyourfavourite?canyouseethroughEddie’seyeslikenormalhumaneyesoraretheyallenhanced?doesourplanetlookprettytoyou?andohyourteethwhataretheyyoudon‘thaveanybonewhataretheyconnectedto?wheredotheygocanyoumakeEddieallteethy?seemlikeyou’dbiteyourtongueallthetimewhichouchyourtonguelookssomuchmoredetailedhowmuchcanyoutaste?What’syourfavouritenotpeoplefoodLewissaidyou‘resuperoldsoyou’veprobablytastedsomuchshitfromallovertheuniversewhichjustlikeholyshitAncientsendmeZonecomethandgrantmesweetreliefwherehaveyoubeen?whatplanets?whataretheylike?madeoutof?thesmells!whataboutthesmells!?!yousmelllikebutterandcandiedeelandcigarettesmokewhichmustbeEddie’sfaulttellhimhe’sbadyoumustbesoconnectedthenthoughwhat’shisbodylikeversesotherspecies?whatotherspecieshaveyoubeenwith?what’stheirmusculaturlike?howdotheybreathandseeandhearandeverythinghowfarhaveyougone?whataboutallthestars?howdifferentaretheysetupelsewherearetherestarswecan‘tseehere?haveyoubeenonastar!oh!canyoueatastar?haveyou?waitwaitIforgotwhatdoyoutastelike?youbitmesotittatit’sfair”.

Eddie watches in slightly stunned disbelief as Vee desperately tries to get out of this kid’s grip but the kid's nails -claws actually?- are somehow clinging really well and he just leaves the ground and gets dragged with. Knocking everyone over again and _licking_? Vee. Then prodding their teeth, but that gives Vee the chance to get comfortably back inside him; feeling obviously super confused and startled. 

Eddie has to practically kick the kid off him when he literally sticks _his hand through Eddie’s collarbone_ where Vee disappeared through. “Ohthat’ssocooltheyslipthroughyourpoursandskinsuremyectoplasmdoesthattoobutit’snotanalienohmyAncients”. 

Eddie stands, basically holding the kid at arm's length in the air, “Christ on a shit stick kid chill, holy shit”, muttering, “now I get why Dan said you like space with a little smirk”. It felt like the kid was literally vibrating under his skin and fuck, it just hit him how fucked up this is. He’s holding _the_ hero of Amity Park up in the air by the waist. This kid’s got an entire year on his ass and doesn’t, like, y’ know, murder people. And the kid just went all fucking uncle tickles on Vee. “Everything you just said was unintelligible garbage”. 

The kid stares at him with eyes almost painfully bright green, “you think your freaky long adult arms are gonna do shit?”, and proceeds to just make a whole ass nother half body out of his fucking shoulders. Eddie scrunches up his entire face, “I’ve never been on this end of the body horror, oh god”, as the kid's new pair of hands grab for his face.

Vee takes over going big ass Venom, because this is some bullshit, and holds Danny away with their claws by the kid’s shirt, like he’s an over-aggressive kitten. Danny just puts his hands to his face, the extra body sorta dissolving into green misty stuff, eyes sparkling, “_so cool_”. Which both Eddie and Vee think is a bullshit reaction. 

“Howdoesthatwork?whatdoesthatfeellike?you’reinafucking_alien_dudeohmyAncients”, grabs Venom’s wrist and makes some kind of weird staticky squealing noise, “ohitfeelsthesamebutmorestructuredandtheveiningislittledifferentandohyoumotherfuckeryouareablackandwhitelittlebitch”. Danny makes a few faces and talks like a normal breathing-required person, “you stole my colours bitch”. 

Vee doesn’t say shit, just retreats into Eddie’s body and drops Danny; who doesn’t seem to give a damn about landing on his ass, standing back upright in seconds. 

Eddie makes a bunch of faces at him, settling on just looking tired as fuck, “kid, what the fuck?”. Rubbing his face and grumbling, “I’m too sober for this shit”. 

Danny chuckles, dimming his eyes some, “sorry not sorry, I like space. And Vee is an _alien_ from _space_”, shrugging exaggeratedly, “sure I’ve been to space but totally not the fucking same”. 

Eddie raises an eyebrow, “you’ve been to space?”. 

“I can _fly_ and don’t need to _breathe_, of course I’ve gone to _space_”, shrugging again, “sure so has my girlfriend but she has a hoverboard. And bitch yes I’m dating a ghost hunter who used to want to murder me real good. Occasionally still makes light stabs at my half-life”, smirking, “we both enjoy the little love taps”. 

Eddie blinks and mutters, “well damn Dan, kid’s a mini-me... minus the murder, and probable alcoholism, and job, and probably the piss shit and vinegar childhood; heck he’s still a child-”.

Danny cuts in, “you really do just mutter to yourself in general huh? Not just to Vee”. 

“You're weirder than Dan. He’s just chill chill ‘bout me having an alien up my ass, you’re enthusiastically chill. He just goes ‘huh, guess this is happening. Hi new friend, please don’t eat me’ and you’re over here like ‘let me touch theeeeeeeeem!’. Almost enough to make me regret coming mildly”.

Danny blinks, oh Hell no, “no, no taking the alien away from me. Also, Lewis is way weirder than me”. 

Vee pops back out, Danny not even bothering to hide his grin, and looks at Eddie’s face, “ARE ALL HUMAN CHILDREN LIKE THIS?”. 

“Hey, I’m almost seventeen I’ll have you know. That’s almost adult”. 

Eddie looks at him and laughs a little, “no kid, no it’s not. I’d say twenty-four is the cutoff. And you feel like a kid too, and I don’t mean that in the human way”, scrunching his eyebrows, “and the fuck did Dan do? For you to think he’s weird. And why the fuck do you use his last name? You don’t scream pompous formal snob”. 

Danny blinks, “oh! You can sense peoples ages? Or childness”, tilting his head, “sure adult ghosts can do that so you’re not special, but whatever”. 

Eddie grumbles, “fuck you too buddy”. While Danny continues, “what hasn’t he done? Guy hid me in a thermos while having happy personal time with the bone saw when the government-sponsored anti-ghost militia came to abducted and probably torture me, and he hardly gave a shit. Guy doesn’t even react to ghostly supernovas. Super great dude though”. 

Eddie grins, his opinion of this kid going up a few levels, “oh I know, he’s great”. 

Danny nods immediately, “just the best. Totally stan”. 

The conversation then becomes a solid ten minutes of just ‘Dan Lewis is just a really great dude’ and ‘I know right?’. 

Danny chuckles, “and pompous snob is more my evil villain uncle’s thing. Lewis is a Lewis because Dan is an evil version of me that, like, low-key annihilated humanity once”, tilting his head, “who I’m oddly less traumatised by now. Eh, I blame Lewis”. 

Eddie blinks, and Eddie thought his life was utterly fucked, “I usually blame him whenever anything goes right in my brain square”. Vee looks to him and practically screams, “STILL NOT A SQUARE EDDIE!”. Eddie aggressively shoving them back in when someone inside the building yells, “Jesus fuck!”, and sticks their head over their balcony, “oh, it’s the fucking Fenton boy. That explains it”, and disappears back into the building. 

Eddie looks back to Danny, “I’m guessing you get away with a fucking lot”. 

Danny shrugs, “me and my friends are the town weirdos. My parents, the town crazies”. 

“Wow, you were screwed the day you were born”, shrugging as they continue walking in genuine yet again, “granted my dad liked to hit me with a shovel so fucking same”.

“Eh, mine used to be really into trying to dissect me. Liked shooting at me, but my dad’s a terrible shot. Though the little couple day torture session in the dungeon was not my idea of a good time”. 

Eddie blinks, “I’m literal nightmare fuel and I’m telling you your life is a fucking nightmare. What the fuck”. Vee sticks their head out from Eddie’s jacket, “WOULD YOU LIKE THEM EATEN? WE ARE ALREADY GOING TO EAT EDDIE’S IF THEY EVER SHOW THEIR COWARD FACES”. 

Danny immediately snaps, “no. Try that and I’ll impale you with a flaming shank”, and points a pointy chunk of ice that he got from _somewhere_ at them. “My parents are great. Little bigoted, but we’re working on that. Oh and on that, they don’t know about your whole ‘alien up the ass’ situation. So maybe don’t go all chest-burster on them. Also don’t know I’m Phantom, neither does the girlfriend”. 

Eddie shakes his head, “so you’ve been doing hero shit without any parents or any other fucking thing?”. Eddie thinks that’s some major bullshit. 

Danny shrugs, “eh, I got some adult ghost friends and clockpops, even of I seldom see any of them”. Danny chooses to ignore Eddie aggressively whispering ‘Vee’ and ‘no’ repeatedly to the side. “Vladdie _tries_ to be a father figure but he’s a fucking fruitloop and probably spends, like, half his time finding new fun ways to taser me or maybe he’ll try the whole ‘I’ll murder your friends and family’ schtick again”. 

Vee forms half a head on Eddie’s head and basically shrieks, “THAT’S IT! WE’RE ADOPTING BABY GHOST HYBRID PREDATOR!”, and whacks Danny on the head with a tendril. 

“What?!? No! ‘Ready got parents, human _and_ ghost!”.

Eddie smirks and rolls his eyes, “too fucking bad. Not literally. They’re just saying you’re a small blob to be protected. Which like, the fuck kid, you're on par or worse than my fucked up life”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, though ‘protected by an alien’ sounds fucking awesome. “I could beat the shit out of you”.

“Is that a challenge? That feels like a challenge. And Vee does get bored of smashing around squishy humans sometimes”. 

Danny grumbles, “you are way too fucking cool with murder”, and shakes his head with a smirk, “Lewis told me your weaknesses. My strongest ability just so happens to be a supersonic wail. I could level a city, you ain’t winning _shit_. Also a pyrokinetic, so double fucked”, Danny finger guns at him and shots little blue flames out; Vee, in typical fashion, hisses.

Eddie groans and dramatically sags, though not putting any real effort into it. Trying to play off the discomfort Vee sends his way over fire being so close. “I’ll admit, the Internet is all over the fucking place on what you can do. Some seemed like some crackfic bullshit. Same goes with the theories about you. Found one group that think you’re literally bloody fucking Satan coming to deceive the youth and bring about the end of times or some bullshit. Even a shoot off that you’re determining the merit of our souls and indoctrinating humanity into peace with the dead”, waving his hand around, “and some other crap about you being death itself”, pointing at him, “the stories told around you are just as fucked and wild as us”. 

Danny blinks and squints at the guy, “okay, now I’m curious because that’s disturbingly close to the truth”. 

“What”.

Danny quirks an eyebrow and smirks, “what? Did Lewis not mention that? The whole prince and eventual king of the dead thing? My defeat of the previous king was kinda a big deal, especially since it got the town abducted into an alternate dimension for a bit and attacked by a skeleton army”, smirking more and shrugging, “and co-existence is defiantly a goal of mine. And kingy is considered the will of the Zone so that is pretty much being death itself. And soul judging comes with the job”, tilting his head, “more of a passive thing though”. 

Eddie blinks, “yup. In over our head. My soul is probably pretty fucked”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “no clue man, I ain’t king yet and hopefully won’t be for a few hundred years”. 

Eddie raises his eyebrows, “so you’re vaguely immortal? We really are too similar”. 

“Oh?”, Danny’s face lights up, “oh! oh! Does Vee’s weird healing of you stop the effects of ageing? Any cells or shit that gets damaged or worn they can just rebuild, reform, or replicate?”.

Eddie gives an almost impressed nod, “yeah, how the fuck did you guess that?”. 

“Dude, alien’s meat puppet? Before dying fucked my vitals and physiology I was on my way to being an astronaut. My entire family are scientists, I have my own scientific patents, and my sister’s a certified genius pioneering a new field of psychology. Ancients, Lewis is bartering to get me into med school because he wants me to work with him. And my archenemy is a hardcore mad scientist. If I was dumb and not creative, I’d be deader. Dead with a side of dead sauce”. 

Eddie shrugs, “I’d say I’m a dumbass so that’s different, but while I’m a dumbass, I’m a smart dumbass”. 

“Fucking same. Investigative reporter probably requires a good head and creativity”. 

Eddie chuckles, “yeah, I would have died long before Vee dropped on my ass. The whole situation that led to Vee was me biting a fish bigger than I could chew”, Danny then watched him go all Sauron demon voice and have suddenly very sharp plentiful teeth, “NOW WE ARE THE BIG FISH”, and grinning all teeth, 

Danny eyes the teeth and grins, “so cool”, shaking his head, “not the biggest though and no snatching my guppies”, and grins, all fangs. 

Still using Eddie’s mouth, “LOOK EDDIE! IMPRESSIVE TEETH TOO! TOLD YOU, PREDATOR!”. Eddie seemingly takes back his mouth, teeth staying though, “I think I noticed, babe”, pointing at Danny, “big ass fangs you got, pretty sharp yourself”, and he has no clue why the kid is looking at him with awe and wonder; probably the alien/space thing again, which is probably going to be a running theme with this kid. Poor Vee.

Eddie gets his real answer when Danny mutters, or attempts to mutter anyway, “hoz? Wiz youvz so goovz at talkin’z? Iz canz barey fuckin’z zveekz”. 

Eddie blinks, sputters, and promptly starts laughing. That explained that! The kid hadn't learned how to speak while being sixty-percent teeth yet! Hahahahhahaha. Bending over, hands on his knees and wheezing. Granted, his first time rockin’ shark teeth had been god awful and Vee had judged him _so hard_. Speaking of Vee, they pop out of Eddie’s jacket yet again and squint at Danny, “BABY. HASN’T EVEN LEARNED TO SPEAK PROPERLY YET”. 

“Fuzz youv. Dizt”.

Eddie bursts out laughing more and has to sit down on the sidewalk, “hahahahahahahahahahhahahahaha”. 

“Shovz tit. Thvez nez!”, and promptly stabs his lip, which Eddie laughs so hard at that he tears up, Danny just scowls, “adulvez fanz, chilz faze; dozen worz”. 

Eddie lays on the grass, “hahaha I have no idea what you said kid! Hahaha! You’re really good at the whole unintelligible garbage schtick, aren’t you. Haha”. 

Danny flips the guy off, switching to ghost speak which was perfectly easy to do with his fangs, since it was all scratchy echoing warble static. Made by vibrating ectoplasm, different teeth (since each tooth had different density or number of pores or solidity), clicking his jaw, and only a small amount of actually moving his mouth, “t̵he̶͞y͏̕’̵͜r̵ȩ̴͟ ̕n̡o͢t ͜m̵̷ad̡e̷̴͢ ̵̸fo҉̶r̶͏̨ ̵E̡̛ņ̛g̸͢l͠͞įs̸͠h̸̶͟, a̸s̛͡s̷̕h͟o̸͞l̢e̕.̶ ͏̷T̵͟h̴͏e͢y’̕re͜ no̧ţ͟͜ ҉̧͜e̛v̴͟en҉ ̨̛̕ma̸̕d̶̡e̡ f͢ơ͟r̷̡ ̢f͟͢͞l̡͘e͝s̶h ͠͠a͜͡n̡̛ḑ͘ ̨͞b͏͟o҉n̢̛͘e͠,͠ ̨͘e̶͡c̛͏t̛͠o̕’̕͏s̶ al͝wa͟y̨s͢ a̸̧ ̵l̸̨i̵͝t̢͢tl҉ę̵ mor̨͝e̢ ̵̕f͜o̵͡͡r͏g͢i̷̶͞v͏i̸̴n̸g̵̢.̧͡ D҉̕ic̴k̨͢͠”, then deciding to be a real asshole and put some serious power behind it after checking no one was around,

“**y̰̠ͬ̄ͭͣ̈́̚ȍ̜̹̚ú̡̖̺̘͓́̔ ͍̖͈̫̗̺̫͆ͧ͒w̛͒̀̿ī͇͊͝l̹͖̝̖̻̹̳͛̅̍̾̓͒l̯̗̻̲ͣ̄ͭ̚̕ ̧̝̻͕̈̽d̵̹ͮ͊̃̏͒i̦͎̝͔̻̭ͤͫ̎̓͂ͮ̐͡ͅe̹̝̲̠̞ ̢̬̘̈̑͐͐ͮ̄o̩͇̰̻̎ͬͨͬ̂ͮ̽ṅ͔̘͙̮͍̋͊͋e̗̳͉̽͆̚ ̙͎͍͙̠̫͘ͅḋ̗̩̱ͪͧ́ͅä̡̺̰̩̺̺͖y͉͔̞̺̦̩̣͋̇͋͆ͤ̅ ͙̭̠̩̬ͪ̄͐̉ͬ͐ḁ͆̅n̫̤̤͈̭͌̽̋̅ͨ͛̚d̦̘̬̻̹ͭ ̧͓ͤͫ̋͂̐I̴͉͍̟̪͈͗ͭ̍̎͒̋͂ ͕̘̳͇̝̤̅ͭ͋͛̃w̸̱͙͖͇̫͕̯ͫ́͌ͯ͆̊̑i̛̒̒̆̓͊̚l̼͉̩͍ͦͪͨl̲̗͍͙̲͚̖̈̍̐̈̚ ̳͍̒̆b͓̹̅ĕ̮̖̣ͨ ̪̹͉̘̉̅ͨt̛͉̲͍̖̬̩͙͐h͈̹̥̥͓͗ͣe̬r̛͖̘̺̱̥͍̆ͮͪͮ̑ͦͬe̎̆̍**”. 

Eddie blinks from the ground, promptly sitting the fuck up as a shiver ripples down his spine and through Vee; who instinctively hides back in Eddie, which honestly weirds Eddie out a bit. The kid smirks down at him, meaning scaring was literally the goal here. Blinking at him, “the fuck. Alright your voice is officially more frightening than Vee’s. The fuck. That sets off every bloody alarm bell, damn. I’m supposed to be the one that scares the piss outta people”, pushing himself up and staggering only a little, “well, Vee technically. Guess we’re both scary little monsters”, smirking down at the kid, “emphasis on little in your case”. 

Danny pointedly retracts his fangs before speaking, “fuck you, I’m gonna be, like, seven feet tall one day”. Eddie just rolls his eyes at that, not even considering the fact that Danny is absolutely correct. 

Vee pops their little head back out and immediately moves to hiss, all teeth, in Danny’s face; who hisses right back. Eddie thinks it’s like some weird asserting dominance thing. Which seems _exactly_ like what Vee would do, gotta try to save face after going all hiding whack-a-mole. Though with the temperature dropping and what’s up with the colour palette of this town? 

Symbiote and halfa stop and grin toothy at each other. 

“IMPRESSIVE”.

“So _cool_”. 

Eddie shakes his head and points at the sign in the distance, “would you look at that, I think I see your favourite poorly named restaurant in the difference”, this kid is going to inflate Vee’s ego at this point. 

Vee looks back to Eddie, “YOU’RE THE ONE UP YOUR OWN ASS ENOUGH TO THINK YOU CAN APPEAR ON TV WITH KETCHUP STAINS”.

Eddie rolls his eyes, “says the alien up my ass“.

“I’LL MAKE THAT LITERAL, BITCH”. 

Danny’s cheeks go noticeably red, puts up his hands startlingly fast, turns on his heels, and half shouts, “nope! Hello Nasty Burger!”, and starts walking. 

Eddie chuckles and shakes his head, least the snarl-fest is over. Though feeling like they just exited a surreal pocket dimension after a bit because suddenly there are people around again, it’s warmish, the colours are normal, and leaves are falling slowly. “Your town is some weird bullshit”. 

Danny laughs and grins at the guy meanly, “it’s a ghosts lair, what do you expect?”. 

“The whole town? Talk about overkill”.

Danny mutters, “fuck you. Ghosts are dramatic”, as he pushes open the doors.

Eddie gives the most sarcastic, “You don’t say”, he can muster. “Sure makes driving interesting”, tilting his head and chuckling a little, “okay, yes, and fun”. 

Danny snickers, flicks his hip hard enough to make a metallic ping, “guess I’m not the only one that has a _hard drive_”.

Eddie doesn’t get a chance to respond to that as some kid shouts, “holy Zone it’s Eddie Brock!”. 

Danny tries not to laugh as Dash of all people runs over, “dude the complication videos of you bashing people’s faces in and shit are fucking legendary”. 

Eddie blinks, “I like that’s what I’m known for”. And some ginger kid mutters, “I prefer his exposé”, gets up and points at Danny, whisper sneering, “I hope he exposes your ass, _Phantom_”, and stalks out of the restaurant. 

This gets Dash to actually notice Danny’s existence, “Fentit! The Zone’s a weak loser like you doing with someone famous?”, looking Fenton up and down before smirking, “you look not dead, soooooo”, and moves to snatch that weird basketball kid’s half-empty drink off the table. He doesn’t get a chance as Valerie -who’s honestly scary as fuck- shouts, “if you even think about it I will make you eat that cup and clean the floor yourself!”. Dash puts the cup down when the _manager_ also shouts, “and I’ll let her!”. 

Danny snickers meanly and points at a clearly confused Eddie, “Oh didn’t you know? We’re friends”. 

Dash snaps, “bullshit”, and shoulders his way past Danny. 

Danny shouts after him, “oh I _dead ass _am!”. While Valerie walks over, in uniform, and hugs Danny, “Zone I’m glad to see you up and about”, grabbing his shoulders and looking him up and down, “your parents scare me”. 

Eddie does know how to take a queue, ten bucks says that’s the girlfriend, and just goes up to order. On that note, the fuck is a triple death meaty mighty? I mean, he’s totally ordering that, whatever it is. “-and I’ll have whatever qualifies as strong coffee”. He’s pretty sure Danny and the girl are making out, low key but still. 

The cashier glances at Danny and back to _the_ -holy fuck this dude’s famous- Eddie Brock, “you know the Fenton kid so I’m just gonna give you what he orders. One Deathspresso”. 

Eddie smirks and laughs. 

‘_AS BAD AS YOU, EDDIE_’

Eddie’s gonna take that compliment.

_‘NOT A COMPLIMENT, IDIOT_’

Eddie ignores that. Watching the kid just get his ‘usual’ whatever the fuck that is. 

Eddie raises an eyebrow at the girl when she joins them at a table. Not even having to ask as she goes from zero to murder a bitch in a split second, smacking a hand on the table and pointing the other at his face, “eat anyone and I’ll blow your ass up with a missile launcher. Even _try_ to eat Danny and you’ll find me standing over you with a cattle prod”. 

“Been there, done that”, and gives an award-winning sultry smirk. 

Danny chuckles, “this a bad time to mention they already tried a sample?”. Eddie nearly chokes on his coffee due to one, fuck this is impressively strong. And two, the girl _actually pulls out a weirdly shaped cattle prod._ Danny snatches the weapon away, “we’re cool Val. ‘Parently I’m inedible”. 

The girl grumbles, “_fine_, but I'm watching you”, and sounds aggressively serious about that. Eddie watches as Danny straight up chugs half his Deathspresso; fuck this kid’s worse than him. Which is definitely not a compliment.

Valerie turns to Danny, “so obviously you’re running your cyber stuff well, but the spooky stuff? Did you, maybe, get a spooky visitor drop in?”. 

“If by ‘drop-in’ you mean fell through the ceiling laughing and mildly scaring the piss outta me, then being tail bros? Then yeah”, shaking his head and taking a few bites, “seriously, what the fuck, Val?”. Obviously he has to cover his Phantom ass. 

Eddie just sips his coffee, pretending this conversation makes any sense. 

Danny points to the manager who’s giving Valerie some serious side-eye, “you might want to get back to work, but first”, Danny leans over with mock sexiness, “I’m glad we started dating during this time of year”. 

Valerie asks cautiously, “why”. 

Danny grins, “‘cause we’re _autumn mated_”, and points a thumb outside at the orange trees and leaves on the ground.

Valerie sighs, “fuck you”, and shoves him through the window -which had been broken not too long ago- and into a bush. Getting up and brushing herself off before giving Eddie another threatening finger point and walking off. 

Eddie tosses out the trash and walks out to watch the kid pull himself out of the bush, “I’m really fucking confused that you let people push around. Pretty sure you woulda let that jock kid dump stuff on you”. Vee sneaks their head out, “EAT THEM”. 

Danny brushes off his pants, “not gonna happen”, straightening up, “if Dash spends his time beating me around then he doesn’t have time to beat up the ones that can’t handle falling twenty-something feet from a flag pole or being force-fed rotten food”. 

Eddie groans, “oh god, you’ve got a fucking hero complex”, as they start heading back to the kids -really fucking weird- house. 

“Lewis says you do your _thing_ for hero-y reasons. Dishing out justice, without the mercy”, squinting at the guy, “or do you just do it for the _meal_”. 

Eddie can practically smell the judgmental disapproval coming off the kid, “kid, no offence Vee, do you really think I’d be munching on people without my little alien hitchhiker?”, shrugging and sticking his hands in his pockets, “sure we only hunt people down when we need the meal, but I’m a thorough motherfucker; they’re _always_ bad guys. Both guys that I would have come after anyways, minus the gratuitous murder. And guys that I couldn’t go after before on account of them probably fucking _murdering me_”. Danny looks like he’s actively determining his worth and truthfulness. 

Danny nods after a bit, “alright, you seem believable enough. You’re the moral compass of Venom, at least it seems you actually are moral”. 

“I don’t know ‘bout moral kid. The filth of the world is our prey and happily so”.

“Woah, chill your tits there Jeffery Dahlmer”, anything else Danny was going to say getting cut off by a shiver travelling through his body and a little plume of icy mist, “hold that thought, Hannibal, I’ve got a job to do”, and slips off into an alleyway. 

Eddie grumbles, “like I haven’t heard that one before”, and chooses to lean against a building and finish his drink. 

Not two seconds later does Eddie hear that echoey voice shout, “well looks like I’ve gone from one _foodie_ to another! Surely you’ll find me a more _flavourful delicacy_! But no! You aren’t allowed to divide my existence away into _servings_! Though I’m certain I’m a perfect _recipe_ for heroic _tendencies_!”. 

Eddie watches as the black and white kid, who looks waaaaaaay less blurry in person, seemingly gets blasted out of the alley by meat? Like a legit literal floating river of meat. Eddie thinks this is already some major bullshit. 

Danny dodges a meat axe, having a hard time not laughing his ass off at catching Eddie’s major ‘what the fuck’ face. The Lunchlady predictably pausing after Danny blasts apart the meatsuit -he’s gonna have to figure out where all this meat came from in the first place- with a couple well-aimed blasts. She looks him up and down, and shakes her head with a scowl, “YOU'RE STILL TOO SKINNY! Cookie?”. 

Danny sighs, putting his chin in one palm, “no”. 

“THEN YOU WILL FRY!”, and slams him into the ground with an oversized frying pan. 

Danny just shoots a beam at her from the small crater he’s in, “the only thing I need to _sweeten_ myself up is coffee!”. 

The Lunchlady stops again and deadpans, “that’s bitter dearie”. 

“Do I look like I care what my taste buds think!?! I’m _Death flavoured_ anyway!”, floating back up, “and I think these _battle flavours_ need the added _spice_ of my fist!”, and promptly socks her across the jaw. Talking a bit quietly at her, “you and Boxy aren’t having issues are you?”. 

She waves him off, “oh hardly”, and throws him into a building via a meat fist. 

Eddie eyeballs a bit of steak that smacked into the ground with an oddly satisfying thwap. Muttering as Vee uses his leg/foot to poke it, “babe, that’s gross. Don’t eat that”. He might not have standards, but he has standards. Though if the steak wasn’t cooked Vee would probably eat it anyway. 

‘_YES_’

The Lunchlady flies in after Danny and presents a little serving tray, taking off the lid. Danny takes the little paper while giving her some serious confused cautious eyebrows. Laughing when he sees it’s actually a bloody baby shower invite! The Lunchlady nods curtly, “I’m well aware you rather your humans not know, dearie”. 

Danny nods, “truth”, and floats up, smirking, “should I bring a_ boxed lunch_”. 

She shakes her head, “I'm not going to question how you knew her name”. Danny just snickers meanly before, “surprise thermos!”, and sucks her into his thermos. 

Eddie grunts, “so you seriously use a thermos? And your enemies invite you to parties? Honestly?”. Bullshit. That is bullshit. 

Danny turns and looks at Eddie who’s sticking his head in through a hole, “you know, most people run away”.

“What is ghost lady gonna do? _Kill me_?”. 

Danny blinks and wheezes, changing back human and wiggling his tail about, “we’re weirdly similar”, shaking his head, “and she would have tried once. Ghosts know better than to genuinely try to kill my humans though”, floating over to snatch up the discarded CyberSteps and reattach them, “also, I’m more like frenemies with most of my enemies”. 

“You’re stupid”. Detachable robo legs were a new one but Dan _had not_ failed to mentioned getting stab and hack happy with the kids lower half _or_ that the kid's parents were trying, and apparently succeeding, at playing pin the legs on the teenager. 

Danny points at the guy, “hey, all ghosts fight each other. It’s a little something called socialising; not that you know much about that”.

“Cut deep why don’t you. You little fucker”.

“I’m only five-four!”.

“_Exactly_”.

“Jerk”.

“Dick”.

Vee takes over Eddie’s mouth, “BITCHES”, apparently feeling left out. 

Danny tilts his head, hearing a very particular engine, and grabs Eddie’s jacket to physically yank him to the side; just as the mini GAV -which is honestly just a reinforced minivan instead of a suped-up mini-tank monster truck hybrid thing- barrels through the wall, his dad clearly being the driver. Eddie yelping, “god fuck! Holy shit!”. 

Maddie sticks her head out of the door, bazooka in hand. Lowering the weapon and clearly raising her eyebrows as she spots Danny, lifting her goggles, “oh! Sweetie!”, looking down and likely checking her scanner, “darn, missed It... them, missed them”. 

Danny mutters, “they’re trying at least”, before waving at her, “hey mom, don’t worry, I’m fine”. 

Eddie grumbles as he stands up, “don’t mind me, I'm good too”, only to slip on a chunk of debris and land right back on his ass. 

‘_MAKING US LOOK BAD, EDDIE’_

Eddie grumbling, “she’s in head to toe spandex, I don’t think she cares”. Danny rolls his eyes, “it’s useful spandex”, he’s over being embarrassed by his parents ‘fashion’. 

Eddie just snickers at the kid as his mom walks up and starts checking him over, “you alright? The ghost didn’t hurt you or anything? Or were they one you’re... friendly with?”. 

Danny bats away her hand, “mooooom, cut it out. I told you I’m fine”, Ancients he hated being babied, _especially_ in front of others. Having to make a point to keep the snarl out of his voice, can’t help the teeth-baring though, “seriously”, huffing though glad when she gets the message and cuts it the Zone out, “and it was just the Lunchlady”, shrugging, “‘parently BoxedLunch was born”. She just blinks at him. 

Eddie turns to the side and laughs, “well those are... _names_”, and laughs a little more. Danny points aggressively at him. 

Maddie smiles a little stiffly, “ghosts names usually have a meaning of some kind”, gesturing to the mini-GAV, “how about I- or Jack I guess, drive everyone back to the house?”. Jack, as if summoned, sticks his head out and waves. 

Eddie shrugs, following the adult and teen into the... ‘vehicle’ thing. While Danny nods, “yup, BoxedLunch will be able to telekinetically control boxed and canned food products”. 

Eddie shakes his head, “that’s stupid”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “could be Obsession based too. Usually a mix”. 

Jack nods and guns it, speaking while Eddie shrieks and chants ‘no’, “Phantom seems to be the exception. But! We’re pretty sure he’s a different kind of ghost! A needed one! A spirit!”, looking to Danny, “like ClockWork!”. 

Eddie just side-eyes Danny while clinging to the door handle. 

“I do believe I mentioned we are called NeverBorns”. Startling nearly everyone. Eddie muttering, “oh fuck me- no not you”. 

Danny tilts his head up a little, child ClockWork appearing with their arms crossed on his head. Danny chuckling slightly awkwardly, “hey Clocky, uh, whatcha doing?”. Is ClockWork showing up randomly around his parents going to be a routine? 

Maddie gives a stiff nod of greeting, “hello... ClockWork”. Jack waving erratically and giving a far more genuine, “hello! Again!”. 

Eddie catches on damn quick, based on the stiffness the lady seems ridiculously similar to homophobes trying to tolerate or not be an utter ass around an out and proud queer. So she was what? a speciesist? Genuinely it seems. Well that’s fucking stupid _and_ bullshit. The guy seemed more like the ignorant type that’s actually totally cool once they know better and actually believe it. And these guys were supposed to be the creme de la creme of ghost research? Wow, fuck that bullshit. “I’m not even gonna bother pretending to understand what the fuck is going on with the baby ghost, but aren’t you guys like the fucking ghost scientists of the world? I’m detecting some speciesism crap here. Studying the whatever the fuck that you’re bigoted against is stupid and is _exactly_ how you do bad science”. 

Danny holds up a finger, “uh, actually the government’s pretty well the same and _did_ try to nuke the Ghost Zone; which would have pretty much destroyed the universe”. 

Eddie points are him, clutching the door harder when the vehicle takes a hard turn, “that’s exactly what I mean. Studying while high on the bigotry train equals making stupid decisions”, gesturing wildly, “like blowing up an entire dimension. That’s stupid. I’d metaphorically punch someone in front of the camera for that. If I were a ghost I’d probably terrorise people trying to blow my home up or shoot me for the crime of existing too”. 

Maddie opens and closes her mouth a few times, “well we didn’t believe them capable of emotions-”. 

Eddie quirks an eyebrow, trying to not look pathetic while clinging to the door, “oh? Just like women aren’t capable of being rational, right?”.

Maddie makes a series of faces, “that’s not the same”.

“Isn’t it?”.

“Ghosts are a different species”.

“And? Women are a different sex”.

“They’re _dead_”. 

“So?”.

“The have an absence of life, so logically it made sense they’d lack things of the living”.

“Women lack balls, which those old assholes clearly thought had something to do with being fucking rational. And do I even need to start on the whole genitalia related hysteria theory bullshit?”. Danny chokes a little and covers his eyes at that. Eddie smirks, “I know jack shit about ghosts, but I can taste bullshit when I smell it”.

ClockWork sticks up a small finger, “that is not how that phrase goes”.

Eddie only glances at them, “do I care? _No_”.

Jack parks and stands, “to be fair, every time anyone had encountered ghosts they had been violent”.

Eddie practically peels himself off the door, “I don’t know about you, but I’ve never ran into a friendly shark”, adding like he’s almost being forced at gunpoint to, “sharks are cool as shit though”. 

Danny gets up too, ClockWork not moving from their spot on his head. Danny’s almost impressed they’ve stayed in child form for so long, means there’s probably a reason though. “Sharks _are_ pretty cool. Awesome teeth”, and gives a meaningful smile; he’d throw in his fangs if his folks weren’t around. 

Eddie gives a small smirk back, a bit of sharp teeth visible. Then turning back to the parents, “science and biased opinions don’t mix, like milk and lemon juice. Nothing is fact until proven otherwise and if someone says it’s fact,_ prove them wrong_; your bloody well self included. Screw your heads on straight”. 

Danny looks to him while his parents gape a little, “I think I get why you get punched and abducted so much. You’re, like, _super_ confrontational”.

Eddie points at him while walking up to the door, “and you’re not?”. Which Danny will admit is a bit fair. Eddie continues, “though yes, I do tend to egg people into throwing down. There is little better than punching pompous money-grubbing jackass that fuck over the lower classes in the face”. Danny can’t ever disagree with that either. ‘Cause well... ‘cause _Vlad_. Though he absolutely hears Eddie mutter to the side, “okay fine, yes that’s better. Only reason I like it now is your oily ass-oh yeah you and me both-fuck off”.

Maddie bites her lip a little but nods, while Jack goes over and gives ClockWork a pretty awkward handshake; considering how small their hands were at the moment. 

Lewis opens the door just as Eddie had muttered, “fuck off”. “Lovely to see you two too”.

“Jesus fuck, God sorry Dan. Not you, you already know that though”, looking to the side again, “shut the fuck up, you cunt”. Lewis just chuckles and moves to let everyone in. 

Lewis points to ClockWork, “why’s the ghost godparent slash Guardian here?”. 

Eddie turns to Danny, eyeballs the tiny ghost, “who the fuck makes a child someone’s godparent?”. ClockWork immediately changes to their adult form, moving to float next to Danny. Eddie blinks, “or not a child”, then looking offended, “oh yeah mock me why don’t you”, probably being mentally laughed at. 

Maddie looks to the ghost, “Dan is right though, is there a reason or do you just... hang out”. 

Eddie looks to her, “let me guess, ghosts ‘don’t hang out’”. Lewis gives him a fond smile that absolutely conveys that this is pretty typical Eddie.

Maddie actually does look slightly embarrassed, which might have something to do with Eddie’s tone, “we didn’t use to think they did”. Which both Eddie and Danny huff at. 

ClockWork sticks up a finger, “we do simply spend time in each others company here and there. I’ve gotten him quite good at chess and better read”. Eddie coughs, muttering, “he plays chess???”. ClockWork keeps going, “though I do have my reasons for my appearance now”. 

Danny sighs, moving to sit in the kitchen, “let me guess, either has to do with Eddie showing up or-”, popping his ankles up on a chair and crossing them, “-the leggies”.

Eddie shuffles off to the living room, pulling out a shitty-looking beat-up journal; when the ghost points at the kid’s metal legs. Now that he’s confirmed a few hunches he might as well work on recent stuff he can actually get paid for. 

Danny sighs, “the timer I’m guessing? Some ability or purpose you left out because it wasn’t the right time?”. Danny totally one-hundred percent saw this coming. ClockWork usually had, like, a bajillion reasons for things.

Jack laughs when ClockWork smirks and nods, “you sure know them well! Danny-boy!”. Maddie smiles genuinely at that. 

ClockWork taps at the timer with their staff, “as was said, such things can alter time around the wearer. And I must say, the Observants are quite displeased over your now patchy and difficult to interpret future”, both ghost and halfa share a malicious-looking grin over that. Before ClockWork continues, “but much more importantly, you could certainly go on a nice little jog through time. A quaint little stroll down the time streams road. Hop from spot to spot on the timeline”. 

Danny blinks and chuckles, putting his chin in his elbow and resting on the table, “so a free built-in pass through time? You out here making me a little optional time hopper huh?”. 

Maddie leans forward, “are you saying you gave Danny time powers through his legs?”, how is she even supposed to react to that? Sure he technically had ‘powers’ already, the floating and the cold of his Core; a healing factor arguably too. Probably more, that he might or might not know about. 

ClockWork pats Danny’s head, “in a way. Far less _timely_ than me, and I _will_ see _anything_ he gets up to or tries. Quite suiting for a_ timely apprenticeship_”. 

Danny blinks, “if I start accidentally falling through time, I’m blaming you”. ClockWork knows how he is with new powers. Though fine, being the ‘child of time’ probably means he should have some kinda timely stuff. Jack can’t help but laugh at that, he could see just how much trouble Danny could get up to with that! Good thing this ClockWork fellow seemed responsible, which super strange to truly see from a spook! Maddie can’t help but see this as like them liking his tail, wanting him to be more like them; which she’s trying not to view negatively. Parents usually wanted their kid to be similar to them.

Lewis leans forward, “interesting choice of words, ‘apprentice’ implies job”.

Danny tilts his head, right they _had_ told him they had a job for him. Sighing with a smile, “you’re really just making me crank my internal clock rapidly towards death”. 

ClockWork gives him another little pat, looking to the parents, “traditionally child ghosts always take something like an apprenticeship under their guardian; through the passing on of power. My binds simply don’t allow for it”, smirking, “at least not through traditional means”. Danny grumbles incoherently at that. ClockWork looking to him and changing to their elderly form, “now the title proper would be ‘prince of time’ of course, being that I am the lord”.

Lewis shakes his head, Danny seriously couldn’t get away from the prince title now could he? Ghost Prince, Time Prince. Though he’s pretty sure the second is not even kinda a ruling title. 

Jack blinks then looks a little excited, curiously excited, “‘prince’? Like royalty?!?”. Danny thumps his head on the table and leaves it there. ClockWork changing to a child and wrapping their tail around his neck, giving him a kinda weird neck/shoulder massage thing, “cloooooockyyyyyy”. Though relaxing and melting a little. 

Lewis can’t help chuckling at that, giving him a very mocking, “awwww”, and getting a very mumbly, “fak yo”, in return. 

Maddie shaking her head and a little surprised to find herself fighting back a smile, “I’m more interested in the binds thing. Your power level means you really should be a six, but you’re not”. ClockWork fiddles with Danny’s hair, leaving him to answer. Danny turns his head to the side, “they make sure the universe goes along the best and longest path. And that is _all _they are to do. Rules they physically have to follow. Restricts how much they can interfere”, sighing and shifting against the table a little, “can only do all this stuff with me ‘cause Guardian. Only Guardian ‘cause of circumstances and whatnot”. ClockWork nods with a hum, letting a content pleased smile be very obvious. 

Jack and Maddie grin at that, both pretty damn certain now that this ghost genuinely liked and cared; no villainous motives. And if they were really thinking on that right now they'd probably cringe, obviously they’ve been wrong and probably about a lot. And Danny knew that. He was involved with ghosts, liked some, and _very close_ with at least one. They had screwed up really, because they had hurt him in a way. He’d always been constant and firm in his opinions. His friends the same but seemingly more disappointed in them about it; probably out of protectiveness. Vlad said it like it was obvious fact but didn’t give a damn if they agreed or not. Dan was gentle and arguably objective, though he had probably talked with Danny at length. And this Eddie had pretty much come up and smacked them. 

Lewis decides this probably qualifies as a ‘family moment’ so makes possibly awkward attempts to leave them alone, getting himself coffee and leaning against the entryway between the kitchen and living room. Smirking a bit to himself at spotting Eddie, who’s scribbling down his chicken scratch while rubbing little circles on noodle Vee’s head; Vee looks quite content with the situation. 

Meanwhile, Maddie eyes the bit of the clock timer peaking out off Danny’s pants. Obviously the ‘prince of time’ thing wasn’t an actual royal title but more ‘family of someone important’, which was still strange. ClockWork calling it ‘apprentice’ definitely confirmed they were teaching him things beyond just chess; a bit mind-blowing ghosts played boardgames. She wonders though...

ClockWork speaks up, Danny looking a little zoned out all the while, “I prefer to allow him to teach himself. A guiding hand, rather than an authoritative voice. The latter weathers with time and often leads astray; the lessons less true and less useful. Request before you demand. Advise before you tell. And listen before you think”.

Jack grumbles, “I don’t think I quite get that”. 

“To demand is to control their actions. To tell is to control their beliefs. To think without listening first is to control their voice. You have done plenty of this in the past. Demand fear and hatred of ghosts, scorn those that refuse to listen. Tell tales of your decided truth as if fact, and speaking louder if someone stuck their fingers in their ears. Thought of only others' nativity and how to reinforce yourselves when others spoke their grievances. Now you’ve tried the other path. And though it can be filled with hurt and discomfort, you’re already richer for it you'll find”, smirking faintly, “and yes, Daniel does do jobs for me; though not officially or with any real request from me. I merely pushed for timelines that aligned best and things worked themselves out as they so often do. Now I can request of him in genuine, and him of me”. 

The two blinks at them, a little overwhelmed. Both pretty sure Danny might be the only one who _doesn’t_ find them overwhelming. And Danny was probably the only one whose opinion ClockWork actually even cared about. Maddie leans back a little, “so you’re kind of like the... god who can’t truly interfere and simply must let people live their lives? Let fate play out?”. 

“And, to use the phrases of mortals, I lose no sleep over that”, shifting to an adult and easily moving Danny to be practically curled up in their lap/against their chest, “I care not whether you live nor die. Whether you know happiness or suffer greatly. Beyond the effect of that upon Daniel and upon the continued existence of the time stream”. 

Maddie could choose to take time that incredibly negatively, she could almost call this emotionless; but really? It was more someone whose priorities were far beyond individual beings. And besides, this meant that ClockWork would do what was best for Danny; everything and everyone else be damned. If anything, she could technically trust them with him more than anyone else. Maybe it was the bond Danny explained, or maybe it was simply them as a Being. 

Jack’s more focused on how Danny absently grabbed ClockWork’s cloak and sorta snuggled up to it, very adorable and Danny would probably be so embarrassed if he wasn’t practically dead to the world. Danny seldom seemed really relaxed, so it was really nice to see! Then watching the ghosts blue hand pull out a necklace from under Danny’s collar, the one Danny always seemed to wear but never over clothing. Jack honestly has no clue what that necklace looks like and according to the paramedics it literally vanished as soon as they got his shirt off. Seeing the little silver CW charm dangling off the thin chain, he knew that thing had to be ghostly! Neither parent even has to ask. 

“I gifted him this after becoming his Guardian proper. And now-”, taping the chain and suddenly a little gear charm appears on it, “-I find this to be another moment to commemorate”, letting go and the necklace simply phases through the shirt. Looking to the parents, “he prefers to keep it over his Core, which is typical for children. Symbolically saying that to truly hurt them you’d have to_ go through their Guardian firs_t”, ClockWork puts in some emphasis to make the message _very_ clear. The parents give a little nod and are actually genuinely happy to hear that. 

Then they hear what they’re pretty sure is a string of swears and thud; turning their heads and seeing Dan choke on his drink a little. Danny -and ClockWork but that’s besides the point- is the only one to actually hear Eddie’s grumble about being bit. Which Danny smirks over and promptly bites ClockWork. Jack laughs while ClockWork chuckles, ahhh the joys of having a trickster who’s still growing into his fangs under their cloak. Danny does crawl off them right after though, moving to make his own coffee and obviously trying to play things off. Which gets Maddie to giggle.

Eddie stumbles in, grunts at Danny, “you like murder coffee, pour me some”, looking to the ghost, “fuck, you’re still here? Don’t you have things to do? Decrepit houses to haunt? Or children’s closets to hide ominously in?”. 

ClockWork smirks, “I’m hardly the type. You should watch your local news, I believe”. Eddie rolls his eyes and shuffles back to the living room; reclaiming the couch. Danny sighs and looks to the ceiling, something going wrong in someone’s home when they leave was exactly his luck. Turning around and sipping his coffee while leaning against the counter; everyone (minus ClockWork)feeling just slightly awkward now. 

So Jack jumps up, looking to Maddie, “after today I say we need to get right on rebuilding the GAV!”. Maddie looks from Jack to ClockWork to Danny, before smiling; it would probably mean a lot to Danny to just _trust_ ClockWork alone-ish with him. Turning to Jack, “sounds like a plan, hon”. 

Danny grins like an idiot to himself after they head down the lab stairs, they had changed so much! Looking to ClockWork, who grins, “one more thing, Daniel. Here”, and hands over folded fabric. 

Danny looks at it, only having to fold out the hood to know it’s a freaking cloak or maybe mini cloak, “oh Ancients, ClockWork. _Thanks_”. ClockWork just laughs a little before throwing the cloak around his shoulders and disappearing. Leaving Danny grumbling fondly, “can’t even say goodbye”. Then looking to Lewis’s stupid smirk, “shut up”. Lewis chuckles and moves to sit in the living room. Danny electing to follow. 

Danny leans over the back of the couch, looking at the absolute mess that is Eddie’s writing, “whatcha doin’?”. 

“Adult stuff you’d never understand”. 

“Fuck you”.

Eddie chuckles, “filling in details on the little interview I had with Cletus Kasady”.

Danny blinks, “ain’t that guy a serial killer?”, he’s not sure he even wants to know now.

Eddie quirks an eyebrow but doesn’t look away from his notebook, “surprised you know that, dudes whacky”. 

Danny rolls his eyes, “nice, another frootloop”, leaning over even more purely to be obnoxious, “I should show you how to write with a proper quill, could make this look even more illegible. And writing with a fucking quill in public is a total power move”. 

Eddie mutters, “that’s actually a decent argument”. While Danny squints at the words, sounding mildly unsure and tilting his head; attempting to read it, “‘there’s gonna be carnage’?”, snorting and moving to actually flop on the couch, “well someone took lessons from us spookies on being ominous”. 

Eddie snorts and rolls his eyes, “more like typical bad guy trying to be intimidating”, smirking, “doesn’t really work on an actual predator though”.

Danny snickers, “tell me about it”.

Lewis sips his drink, watching the slight sharp toothy grins. Maybe those two were going to be like oil and fire, which might not be a good thing. Eyeing the short cloak that was honestly closer to a shawl, whatever, it was probably out of his hands now. Least the kid had some omnipresent god looking out for him. Positives Lewis, positives. Vee’s noodle head being suspiciously quiet is more than a little ominous though. 

**End**. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so author’s side notes because this did surprising well. Y’all fucking love this, you really fucking love this.  
I never honestly expected this to effectively become my most popular fic. This is a DP/Venom crossover for peat’s sake(the very first one actually! So hooray for me I guess)! With a side character that got, what? ten minutes of screen time? as a main character instead of Eddie/Vee.  
But I had a bloody fucking stellar time writing this, even if the chapter lengths got physically painful (I legit got arm cramps). DP and Venom are my all-time favourite pieces of visual fiction so a crossover had to happen.  
Yes I intend to make a sequel to this, possibly with an intermission story of one-shots within this little universe before doing the actual sequel. But any possibility of the actual sequel is on hold till Venom 2 comes out, to give me a little more movie!canon and characterisations to work with. (The movie was originally coming out this October, so I was going to make the sequel part of ectober (just like this fic) but uh, that ain’t happening. Fuck you Covid).  
Now fun little facts, little nectar sips:  
Originally this was supposed to be 5 chapters max. Filling out five prompts from ectober 2019. Obviously I got carried away.  
This was also only supposed to be 50k-70k if you need more proof of me getting carried away. (Though looking at the finished product, past self? What the fuck were you on? Thinking this shit was gonna be that short?). I was writing the third chapter, checked the word count, realised it was surpassing 50k and went, ‘um. How ‘bout, no’. (Not that there’s anything wrong with 50k chapters, but I prefer 30k or less).  
As I said in the beginning, this didn’t start out as a crossover. I like naming doctor characters Lewis in pretty much all my fics featuring doctors as a little nod to Venom. I decided to make him actually dr. Dan Lewis, friend and doctor to our lovable walking disaster murder bros, while writing the second chapter (before uploading or even editing the first) and realising that Lewis finding out about Phantom would be great. Doctor Dan the man getting yet another inhuman crime-fighter dropped on his ass. But this is why Eddie’s/Vee’s names are not mentioned even once in the beginning.  
Originally Lewis was just supposed to be a doctor, do his job, and send Danny on his merry way; being oddly unbothered by odd all the while. Which would have made things much harder on Danny and he absolutely would have failed miserably at keeping his Phantom secret from his folks early on. Other than that, I have no bloody idea what this story would have looked like without it being a crossover.  
This was also supposed to be completely finished by the end of October 2019. Realistically I could have written this entire fic (at its current length) in about a month. But I’m one of those assholes that jumps between not even opening my writing app (yes I write my fics on my phone) for three months and writing nonstop for three months only breaking to eat, sleep, and shit; and even that’s debatable. I’m all or nothing.  
One of the ways I edit stories is by listening to them via text-to-speech while I’m working. Due to that, I have effectively memorised this story word for word due to the sheer number of times I’ve listened to it. Both to edit and to keep the characters... in character.  
Anyway, get drawn to the light of the kudos and comment section, little mothlings. And subscribe for more fics finer than silk!  
This is GothMoth fluttering off.
> 
> [Some Fuckin' Noice Art!](https://lmtyl.tumblr.com/post/635372271744188416/that-scene-from-phantomphangphucker-s-fic)


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